Nervi-Conterno Valferana Gattinara 2018
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Vinous
The 2018 Gattinara Valferana is explosive right out of the glass. Supporting veins of tannin carry a core of red fruit, cinnamon, rose petal, blood orange, mint and white pepper. The Valferana is complex and wonderfully deep from start to finish. Valferana is the cooler of the two single vineyard Gattinaras that are bottled separately here. The 2018 is a special wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As all Nebbiolo lovers know well, this mighty Piedmont grape is especially sensitive to place. That's the main takeaway with the Conterno Nervi 2018 Gattinara Vigna Valferana. This is a west-facing vineyard at 300 to 350 meters in altitude that is characterized by volcanic soils and slightly cooler conditions, resulting in an etched and very focused expression of Nebbiolo (as opposed to Molsino that tends to be open-knit and more concentrated). Valferana is tightly chiseled and crisp, with blue flower, sour cherry, tobacco smoke, underbrush and candied orange peel. The wine offers a complete picture of the grape from Gattinara with some extra tannic edge to carry it through the years.
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Wine Spectator
An open, perfumed red, with hints of rose, strawberry and cherry over earth, iron and tobacco notes, revealing light, dusty tannins and vibrant acidity for support. Though enjoyable now with decanting, this should age well over the next decade or so. Drink now.
Attracting the most glory, prestige and fame to the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo in all of its expressions—Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Ghemme and Gattinara—creates a complex wine, truly unique for its delicate qualities combined with strength and a great potential to improve over time.
But Nebbiolo isn’t all there is to red wine from Piedmont! Barbera is the most planted variety and historically most popular as a dependable, food-friendly, everyday wine.
Beyond these two, a surprising number of red varieties call Piedmont their home. Worth a try include Dolcetto for its bold concentration and aromas of spice cake. Other grapes to investigate include Freisa, Croatina, Brachetto, Grignolino and Pelaverga.