2018 Conterno Nervi Gattinara Vigna Valferana

The Nervi estate is the oldest in the DOCG of Gattinara, north of Piedmont, founded in 1906 by original owner Luigi Nervi. A long time admirer of the wines and friends of the owners at the time, Roberto Conterno (of Giacomo Conterno fame) purchased a 90% stake in the winery in 2018, renaming it Conterno Nervi. A relatively new designation, Gattinara became a DOCG in 1990, and while the wines show similarities to those of Piedmont, generally Gattinara reds have a more elevated feel, savoury and structured, with plenty of acidity and fine tannins allowing for great longevity.

There are 20 cru vineyards in the Gattinara DOCG appellation, with Valferana sitting near the geographical centre of the commune at a height of 370 metres. Although it sits a little lower than Molsino, Valferana doesn’t get as much sunlight or warmth, facing predominantly west, and it is one of the steepest crus. Most vintages, the wine has a tight, focused frame. ‘Valferana’ is the more austere of the two crus, with a tightly wound core gifted by Gattinara’ s porphyry-gravel soil; the wine is disciplined with myriad mineral nuances. The wine is fermented and macerated in tini (large conical wooden vats) for 3–4 weeks, then aged for another 40 months in various large wood formats.

Other Reviews....
As all Nebbiolo lovers know well, this mighty Piedmont grape is especially sensitive to place. That's the main takeaway with the Conterno Nervi 2018 Gattinara Vigna Valferana. This is a west-facing vineyard at 300 to 350 meters in altitude that is characterized by volcanic soils and slightly cooler conditions, resulting in an etched and very focused expression of Nebbiolo (as opposed to Molsino that tends to be open-knit and more concentrated). Valferana is tightly chiseled and crisp, with blue flower, sour cherry, tobacco smoke, underbrush and candied orange peel. The wine offers a complete picture of the grape from Gattinara with some extra tannic edge to carry it through the years. Drink 2024 - 2042.
95 points
Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Dec 2021)

The 2018 Gattinara Valferana is explosive right out of the glass. Supporting veins of tannin carry a core of red fruit, cinnamon, rose petal, blood orange, mint and white pepper. The Valferana is complex and wonderfully deep from start to finish. Valferana is the cooler of the two single vineyard Gattinaras that are bottled separately here. The 2018 is a special wine. Drink 2028-2048.
96 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous