Nervi-Conterno

### History Nervi is among the oldest and most respected names in Gattinara, with roots in the appellation stretching back to the early twentieth century. For decades the estate operated as a family concern under the Nervi name, producing wines that helped establish Gattinara's reputation as northern Piedmont's most serious Nebbiolo zone. By the late 2010s, however, the property had lost some of its earlier momentum, and ownership eventually passed to Roberto Conterno of Giacomo Conterno in Monforte d'Alba. The acquisition drew immediate attention: the Conterno family name is inseparable from Barolo at its most rigorous and age-worthy, and the move signaled a clear intent to apply that same seriousness to Gattinara. Since taking over, the Conterno family has worked to restore and clarify the estate's vineyard holdings and winemaking approach, with the first vintages under their full direction arriving in the early 2020s.

### Vineyards Gattinara sits at the northern edge of Piedmont's Nebbiolo belt, where the Alps begin to exert a real influence on climate. The soils here are volcanic in origin, based on eroded porphyry rock, which gives Gattinara Nebbiolo a notably different profile from the Langhe's Tortonian and Helvetian marls. The estate's two named vineyard sites, Valferana and Molsino, are among the appellation's most regarded. Both sit on the slopes surrounding the town of Gattinara, with elevations and exposures that produce relatively long, cool growing seasons. Volcanic, mineral-rich, low-fertility soils tend to give the wines their characteristic iron-edged quality and firm structural backbone. Specific farming certifications for the estate have not been widely documented in publicly available sources.

### Winemaking Nebbiolo in Gattinara must by appellation rules spend meaningful time in oak, and the Conterno approach at Nervi reflects a preference for wines built to age. Fermentation relies on the native yeasts present in the cellar and vineyard, consistent with how Giacomo Conterno operates in Barolo. Aging takes place in large oak casks rather than barriques, a choice that allows the fruit and structure to develop without heavy wood overlay. The estate produces a Gattinara at the appellation level alongside the two single-vineyard wines; Molsino and Valferana are bottled separately to reflect meaningful differences in site character. The wines show the firm tannins and high acidity typical of northern Nebbiolo, with the volcanic soil signature particularly evident in the texture and finish. Given the Conterno family's track record with long-lived Barolo, these Gattinaras are almost certainly conceived with extended cellaring in mind.