2017 Antoniolo Gattinara Riserva, Piedmont, Italy - 1.5L MAG
ABOUT THIS WINE
Gattinara in Alto-Peidmonte is at a higher elevation than Barolo and Barbaresco and produces wines that show much more finesse with elegant floral notes and alpine herbs. Antoniolo makes his Gattinara in the traditional style using spontaneous fermentation, an 18-day maceration, and aging in large Slavonian and French oak botti.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Antoniolo is a family-owned estate in the small DOCG region of Gattinara in northern Piedmont. It is known for its elegant, structured, long-lived red wines from the Spanna grape, the local name for Nebbiolo.
The Antoniolo family re-established the farm in 1945, after it had been abandoned in 1910 due to the economic hardships brought about by phylloxera. In the early 1950s, the firm was one of the first producers in the region to focus on 100-percent Nebbiolo wines, instead of blending in other red and white grape varieties. It was also a local pioneer in releasing cru wines.
Current owner Rosanna Antoniolo now owns 14 hectares (35 acres) of organically farmed vineyards in five plots, and runs the estate with her daughter Lorella and son Alberto. Three of the plots are sources for single-vineyard selections. The lineup also includes a standard Gattinara, a rosé and the Nebbiolo Coste della Sesia.