1961 | Nervi-Contino | Spanna Gattinara

Detailed Description

It presents itself with great elegance and charm with precise aromas, imposing but very fine tannins and great length.

Producer Information

Azienda Vitivinicola Nervi-Contino is a wine estate in the Gattinara DOCG zone of Piedmont (Piemonte), northern Italy. It produces long-lived red wines from the Nebbiolo grape variety, known locally as Spanna. Founded in 1906, Cantine Nervi is the oldest winery in the appellation. It is now owned by Roberto Conterno of Cantina Giacomo Conterno in Barolo. The current portfolio is centered around a core gattinara bottling and two single-vineyard cuvées (see below). A Rosato is also made. Native yeasts are used. For the single vineyard wines – Valferana and Molsino – gentle de-stemming and crushing is employed. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled truncated conical oak vats. Maceration lasts for three to four weeks. The pair are aged for at least 40 months in used wood and four years in total. Barrels and casks range from 1000 to 7600 liters, and are made from Austrian, French, German and Slavonian oak. The Gattinara cuvée differs in that is fermented in stainless steel tanks. It is then aged for 30 months in old wood, and again four years in total. This is above what is required in the DOCG regulations (3 years total, 30 months in oak).