Nervi Conterno Gattinara 2022

Nervi is the oldest winery in Gattinara, founded in 1906, and since 2018 it has belonged to Roberto Conterno of Giacomo Conterno, Barolo's most exacting traditionalist. The estate's 28.5 hectares lie on Alto Piemonte's volcanic soils, mineral-rich gravels left behind by the collapse of an ancient supervolcano, and include the historic Molsino and Valferana crus, vineyards documented in town records as far back as 1231. The Gattinara is farmed organically and raised the Conterno way: fermentation on native yeasts, long maceration, and years of quiet maturation in large oak casks. Sour cherry, rose petal, and blood orange run over iron, herbs, and crushed stone, with fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity drawing the wine into mineral tension. Nebbiolo in a different register from Barolo: silkier, cooler, and every bit as serious.