Nervi Conterno
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Roberto Conterno needs no introduction; his purchase of the Nervi estate in 2018 seemingly removed the ceiling for the already-impressive wines, and Contenro is dedicated to elevating the quality to his impeccable standards in Barolo. Early returns are impressive, as the traditionally rustic wines have a new hue of approachability while staying true to the region's structure and age-ability.
Go scan your Italian textbooks once more and check out Gattinara - a historically important zone. in Northern Piedmont, and Nervi was the oldest grape-growing family in all of Gattinara, the vineyards dating back to the 17th century. What sets Gattinara apart from Barolo is that it's almost exclusively volcanic soils rich in minerals, and the wines have a distinct spiced mineral tone to them, and will age for countless decades - wines from the 60s and earlier are still cranking!
With Conterno's purchase of the estate in 2018,. the wines were improved further; always known for being long-lived - expect the pre-Conterno wines to be ready to drink some 15-20 years (at least) after the vintage - there will be a bit more approachability in their youth now. Conterno de-stems his Nebbiolo fully, and controls the fermentations carefully to not extract abundant tannin, given that Nebbiolo naturally has plenty. The grapes will soak for an additional 3 weeks after fermentation completes to attain the proper color, followed by 3 years' aging in large oak barrels. Staying true to the beautifully unique minerality from the volcanic soils of Gattinara, there is a lightness and a brightness now, with a balanced clarity of fruit where savory tones once ruled. We're excited for the future of this already hallowed estate!
