A very good wine that sure had me fooled… and I was looking at the label. If I’d had it blind, I would not have guessed Gattinara. I would not have guessed Nebbiolo and with a lot of luck I just might have guessed Piedmont.
The very dark color is the first misdirection. Next come the aromas. They are attractive, but have nothing flowery, a few Alpine hints but a lot of red and black cherries with some bramble elements, a nice blend of Barbera with some Zinfandel anybody? The palate keeps me off balance, plenty of acidity but even more tannin and a hint of red currant, as Cabernet comes up on the outside in the Varietal Sweepstakes. The finish is a little abrupt, but there is good balance in the entry and midpalate and very good intensity of flavors. This tastes younger than 11 years and is serious about the vigor. Rated 89, up to three points of improvement likely over 5 – 10 years.
Dan Kravitz