Gattinara
DOCG
“A sip of Gattinara, as long as it is genuine of course, I would not ask for more”
So wrote Mario Soldati, an iconic Italian writer in his short stories featuring locations in Piedmont he was so fond of.
The origins of Gattinara wine date back to the second century B.C. with the vineyards being planted locally by the Romans. It is believed that the town of Gattinara lies in the area where proconsul Quinto Lutazio Catulo sacrificed the remains of the conflict with the Cimbri tribe, that he conquered in the summer of 101 B.C. near Vercelli, to the gods. Right here the “Catuli Ara” namely Catulo’s Ara (altar)was raised and both the town and the wine took their name hereafter.
A few centuries later, in 1518, Gattinara was introduced to the Court of the King of Spain by Cardinal Mercurino Arborio, Marquis of Gattinara and Chancellor of Charles V, and fastly became an effective resource for diplomatic negotiations. To date, the prestigious designation that gained the D.O.C.G. status in 1990 is only produced in the territory of Gattinara.
Production area: municipality of Gattinara, province of Vercelli.
Varietals (%): Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna) from 90% to 100%. Other indigenous varietals such as Vespolina (maximum 4%) and Uva Rara a.k.a. Bonarda of Gattinara are allowed as long as they do not account for more than 10% in the blend.
Colour: garnet red that shifts to orange hues overtime.
Nose: intense, fine and persistent, spicy notes and violet suggestions.
Palate: dry and well balanced with a classic slightly bitter finish.
Ageing: minimum 35 months of which 24 in oak according to the designation guidelines. The Riserva version requires a longer ageing time of 47 months of which 36 that must be spent in oak.
Serving temperature: 18°-20° C
Best if paired with: main courses (mostly risotto-based), game (hare and roe deer), meat (braised, stewed, fillet, boiled meat) and hard-textured cheeses. The Gattinara D.O.C.G. is well suited as a contemplation wine.
