CANTINA GIACOMO CONTERNO & AZIENDA VITIVINICOLA NERVI
EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM & HONG KONG
ROBERTO CONTERNO
A bit of advice if I may, if you want to feel like you achieve a bit in life (and who doesn’t?) it is not advisable to spend too much time with Roberto Conterno!
Such is the drive he possesses that it can leave one feeling more than a bit unaccomplished. All the more impressive it is then that when you are with Roberto he gives you his total focus. This year Adam and I tasted all the wines in Gattinara at the wonderful Nervi winery before a splendid lunch at Cucine Nervi. You always learn so much with Roberto and there is always a lot to cover; the wines, new machines and even new ski prototypes.
As well as what you would expect - the notes on the wines and comments on the wineries and vintages - I would like to draw your attention to two particular sections in this offer:
When, how and what to drink now – I try to tweak this each year and it really just draws on my experience with drinking Nebbiolo and Barbera, any feedback or questions are very welcome.
Monfortino - what’s coming and more interestingly what’s not! –In this section I cover the fact there will be no Monfortino in 2016, 2017 & 2018 before a possible trio thereafter. The devil is in the detail so please have a read.
And finally, this offer sees the single vineyard wines of Nervi from the first full Conterno vintage – 2018 – and what a joy they are, do not miss them.
Saluti.
WILL HARGROVE Head of Fine Wine October 2022
We are often asked by customers for guidance on the quantities they should order. Due to the huge increase in demand for these wines over recent years, we will have to allocate / ration all the wines in this offer.
We will do our best to accommodate newer customers, however priority will be given to customers who have supported wines from Cantina Giacomo Conterno over time and Nervi more recently.
1. Roberto Conterno and Corney & Barrow’s focus is on the private customer and as a consumer rather than a speculator.
2. The wines are bought on the clear understanding that they will be stored and delivered in the UK or Hong Kong only.
3. Should you wish to sell the wine in the future, do please offer Corney & Barrow first refusal, as this will ensure the integrity of secondary market distribution.
May we please have your order by 25th October. Confirmation of your order will be through receipt of invoice and the wines will be delivered or put into your reserve on payment. As already outlined, all orders are conditional upon UK storage or Hong Kong delivery only. May we please request that invoices are settled within the usual terms.
In the interests of being fair, we reserve the right to reallocate your order to other customers on the waiting list if payment is not received by this time. Do please speak to our sales team, who will be delighted to help you further.
THE VALFERANA VINEYARD
“Conterno has taken his maniacal attention to detail and the best practices he has developed at his Giacomo Conterno estate in Serralunga and applied them at Nervi. The results speak for themselves.”
Itwas so exciting when we first heard of Roberto Conterno buying Nervi. With Roberto having expanded the great Cantina Giacomo Conterno estate by acquiring a part of the Cerretta vineyard (in 2008) and then Arione (in 2015), he had clearly been on the lookout for opportunities.
Those of you who know Roberto will understand that detail is his thing, whether it is in the vineyard, in the winery or adding to the family’s holdings. Back before 2018 Nervi was very much on my radar, from the two previous occasions I had tasted. Both times I was sufficiently intrigued and impressed to do a write-up on my own blog. I liked the wines very much but that crucial, human link just wasn’t there YET.
Adam and I then visited Gattinara back in May 2018 and again with Joe Muller in 2019 before I visited last September and again this August to taste these wines. It is becoming more than something of a cliché these days to say that great wines are “grown and not made” but it is very clearly the case here. The combination of the soils, the aspect, the light and the altitude is something of a perfect storm for the Nebbiolo grape. There are three wines in this offer, all from Nebbiolo. Gattinara 2019 itself is joined by two 2018 single vineyard bottlings –Valferana & Molsino.
Below I have largely repeated our initial text on the history and geography as well as information on the crucial human elements of Nervi as I feel it is crucial to set out the stall clearly on this exciting area and estate.
The history of Azienda Vitivinicola Nervi dates back more than 100 years. The history of wine in the area goes back even further. The 10th century tower, Torre della Castelle, that still stands prominently above the town (at a similar height to the top of the Molsino vineyard) was built to guard the vineyards. The Valferana vineyard, more about which below, can be traced back to 1242.
In 1787, Thomas Jefferson (remember that name for a new wine mentioned later) stayed at the Hotel “Tre Re” in Vercelli and drank his first Gattinara. The wine made a lasting impression and was the beginning of his passion for Nebbiolo. From the evidence in his journals, it has been deciphered that this wine was most likely a sparking rosé: “There is a red wine of Nebiule made in this neighbourhood which is very singular. It is about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, as brisk as Champagne. It is a pleasing wine.” Things have moved on since then!
Until the end of the 19th century, Gattinara was held in far higher regard than either Barolo or Barbaresco. Phylloxera ravaged the vineyards, reducing the area from over 600
hectares to just over 100. In 1872, a relative of Luigi Nervi’s, Pietro Giovanni Nervi, helped establish Italy’s second oenological research station in Gattinara. The analysis performed at the centre resulted in the 1875 quality classification of North Piemonte’s terroirs. Gattinara was placed first, followed by Lessona, Grignasco, Ghemme, Cossato, Sizzano, Boca and Briona. The head of the research station, Giovanni Battista Cerletti commented:
“The best wines of North Piemonte enter into the category of Grands Vins d’Italie and match the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, particularly the latter to which the North Piemontese wines are similar. This conclusion is supported by the prices obtained by a good Gattinara or Ghemme.”
Italo, the only son of Margherita and Luigi Nervi, was largely responsible for obtaining the official DOC classification for Gattinara in 1967, with the higher quality DOCG classification obtained in 1990. The wines must contain at least 90% Nebbiolo, known locally as Spanna, with up to 10% Bonarda di Gattinara and no more than 4% Vespolina. Ageing is in oak for a minimum of one year, two years for Riserva, plus two years in bottle.
CANTINAAzienda Vitivinicola Nervi. Founded by Luigi Nervi in 1906, Nervi is Gattinara’s oldest operating winery. Luigi’s son, Italo, grew the company by purchasing vineyards and expanding their cellars. Italo passed away in 1975 with no direct heirs and left his shares in Nervi to relatives. The company was then sold to Germano Bocciolone in 1991, a steel manufacturing entrepreneur, who embarked on a massive investment programme, including a stainless steel vinification plant, 40 new Slavonian oak barrels and the replanting of the Molsino vineyard. His sons sold the majority share to the Astrup family in 2011. Erling Astrup had asked Roberto Conterno for his opinion before buying, and after tasting older vintages, Conterno said it was wholly impossible not to make great wine here.
In April 2018, Roberto Conterno, acquired 90% of Azienda Vitivinicola Nervi. Between early 2019 and mid 2021 Roberto has embarked on and completed a brilliant re-organisation and rebuilding of all the wine making, maturation and cellaring facilities as well as the addition of a new restaurant. As you would expect it is not just any restaurant – strongly recommended and 1 hour from Milan Malpensa. cucine.nerviconterno.com
A series of seismic events has given the area of Gattinara a unique soil structure. 280 million years ago, volcanic rocks were created when the Valsesia super-volcano erupted. Then, when Africa collided with Europe to form Monte Rosa 60 million years ago, these rocks were forced to the surface as gravel. Most of this was washed away over time, except for that of Gattinara’s higher slopes. This has created a unique mineral-rich terroir. The gravel is rich in iron, manganese, zinc and copper. In addition, the high clay content - paralleled by Serralunga d’Alba - and an absence of chalk give rise to acidic soil conditions, perfectly suited to Nebbiolo. Nestled in the foothills of Monte Rosa, the vineyards are protected from northerly winds.
There are currently 28 hectares (ha) under vine:
Molsino, at 12ha, is Alto Piedmont’s finest southfacing amphitheatre. 7-8ha would ordinarily be considered for the Vigna Molsino bottling. The altitude is 350-420m.
Valferana is 8ha in size and is particularly high in iron and manganese, up to six times that of other Nebbiolo producing regions. Around 3-4ha would, at the moment, be considered for the Vigna Valferana bottling. The remainder is for the Gattinara. The altitude is 320m.
Garavoglie is 7ha and was replanted in 2015 with thirteen different Spanna (local name for Nebbiolo) clones, ensuring the original Nebbiolo clones of Alto Piedmont remain an integral part of Nervi vineyards.
Casaccie is the last site, at a minute 1ha.
Pruning and harvesting at all sites is carried out by hand.
In the cellar, native yeasts are used. Roberto is incredibly hands-on here, as one would expect. For the single vineyard wines - Vigna Valferana and Vigna Molsinothere is gentle destemming and crushing. Fermentation is in truncated conical oak vats, at controlled temperatures. Maceration lasts 3-4 weeks. The ageing that follows is for a minimum of 40 months in old wood. The sizes of that old wood varies up to 76hl; it is an extraordinary cellar. For the Gattinara, similarly, destemming and crushing is very gentle, followed by fermentation, again at controlled temperatures. The ageing here is for 30 months in large old wood.
Large oak casks, or botti, are used for ageing. More than 100 years of wine production have shown that only through a long and controlled ageing process can the high potential of Nebbiolo tannins be transformed into a well-balanced wine. For this reason, in the Nervi cellars, ageing time is lengthened to more than that required by the Gattinara DOCG. The minimum ageing required by the Gattinara DOCG is three years, two of which must be in cask. The wines of Nervi age, as above, for four years, at least 2.5 years of which are in oak. This explains Luigi Nervi’s motto: Nectar in tempore, which implies that patient ageing in the cellar transforming the Nebbiolo grapes into the precious elixir which made the Roman gods immortal - just in case you were in doubt.
One other wine is currently produced, the Rosato, with another to join. The other is a Sparkling Nebbiolo called Jefferson. The first bottling was the 2017 –miniscule quantities.
Enrico Fileppo, now ably assisted by Matteo Gioioso, is the chief oenologist and has been with the winery since 1983.
“Roberto Conterno’s acquisition of Nervi in 2018 made waves and has brought a whole new level of interest to Alto Piemonte. I visited just a few months after the purchase was complete and Conterno had already added temperature control to the cellar. Since then, Conterno has built a new winery and added the same state of the art bottling line he has at Giacomo Conterno. The range of wines is now streamlined to three Gattinaras; the straight Gattinara bottling plus the single vineyard Molsino and Valferrana.”
ANTONIO GALLONI Vinous
Whilst the acquisition of Nervi (not to mention the addition of the restaurant www.cucinenerviconterno.com) means Roberto often needs to be in two places at once, there has not been even a moment’s rest at Conterno. A brief recent history…
A new vineyard purchase. Planted with both Nebbiolo and Barbera. The first addition to the estate since the acquisition of Cascina Francia in 1974.
Another new site, this time planted solely with Nebbiolo. Both Cerretta and Arione are of course in Serralunga so the addition is both logical and coherent. Arione is a south facing (and therefore earlier ripening) extension of Cascina Francia. The 2017 offered here is the third Barolo Arione. A small selection of Arione 2015 is also included in the Monfortino 2015.
2017-2019 – THE SENSORY GLASS (see pages 28-29)
2020-2022 - THE SYMPHONY GLASS – more to come soon but think “sparkling”
If one adds to all this the incredible rigour with which Roberto has overhauled the inspection and treatment of corks (the same for both Nervi and Conterno) and the development of the Cantina itself then it really has been an incredible run of projects. He is not finished there either…
There are few places in the wine world where you feel you could literally eat off the floor of the winery. I can’t work out whether the facilities more resemble a car tuning workshop (think Alfa Romeo or AMG) or a monastery. Either way the tranquillity and calm is a wonderful contrast to Roberto’s energy and dynamism.
WINES AGEING AT CANTINA GIACOMO CONTERNO
This had just been bottled the previous week when we tasted. Spicy and full with a lovely Nebbiolo typicity. I noted a nervous richness and a floral element too. Whilst this may not have the gregarious nature of the 2018s a showing this good just after bottling is quite something! Very impressive and totally delicious.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2030+
£295/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £645/Case of 6 magnums, in bond UK £235/Case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
This is just a shade darker than the Valferana. The site Roberto comments “gets more sun but always has a lovely breeze”. The tannins are definite but ripe and rounded, “stealth tannins” I might call them. Superb and actually really quite difficult to write about or describe. There is a Barolo feel, serious wine but showing oodles of fruit. Stunning
Corney & Barrow Score 18 - 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2032+
£575/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £1,205/Case of 6 magnums, in bond UK £425/Case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
GATTINARA VIGNA VALFERNANAI had been looking forward to tasting the single vineyard 2018s ever since I tasted the Gattinara 2018 as that was just drop dead gorgeous. This is predictably stunning, a special, decadent, richly pungent nose gives way to a fleshy palate with tannins that remind me of toffee. There is a real drive here and a pinch of warm salt on stones. The problem will be managing to age this and the Molsino so expressive are they now.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2032+
£575/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £1,205/Case of 6 magnums, in bond UK £425/Case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score. Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.
So, before moving on to cover the wines offered this year from CANTINA GIACOMO CONTERNO the “elephant in the room” needs to be addressed. 2016 is in Piedmont, and much of Europe, lauded as a great vintage. It is exactly that. Why then is there no Monfortino 2016? I put this to Roberto and the answer is clear.
There is always one botti (large barrel) that is earmarked to be designated as Monfortino and the intention is always to release it as such, unless you get vintage like 2013 and 2014 where the entire crop fits the bill. In the case of 2016 Roberto simply felt that the Monfortino barrel did not stand out as being Monfortino so it was combined with the Barolo Francia that was released two years ago.
The bad news for lovers of Monfortino is that it will not be released in 2017 or 2018 either. So a trio of Nonfortinos (sorry couldn’t resist). The good news though is the quality of 2019, 2020 and 2021 Nebbiolo is incredibly high.
What’s coming and more interestingly what’s not!
As mentioned above the 2019 and 2020 vintages were very good in Piedmont with lovely growing seasons and good weather in September meaning the grapes could be harvested as desired. These Barberas as not to be missed.
Tasted just three weeks after bottling. Lovely nose of expressive, crunchy dark cherry fruit. There is a coolness to the fresh fruit, black cherry and wet stones. Then with air the wine lifts and violets enter the fray. Overall there is a sense of real energy, good acidity, a crisp density. Lovely.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2028+
£285/case of 6 bottles, in bond UK
My note rather unhelpfully starts with “Exactly as it should be”, it’s the sort of thing you write in the moment and regret when re-visiting. Full, ripe, deeply rich and serious. The intensity is quite something but is also balanced by the trademark salty tang and life-giving acidity. Super as ever, THE world’s leading Barbera…again.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2025 – 2030+
£285/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK
£310/Case of 3 magnums, in bond UK
ARIONE VINEYARD
This will be covered in next year’s offer in some detail but it is fair to say the 2019 vintage was regular and this is every bit as exciting as it may sound boring. Good weather without excesses and a lovely September and October.
From the part of the Arione Vineyard that lies outside the commune of Barolo (were it a de-selected part of Arione from within Barolo then it would be a Langhe Nebbiolo). Bright and lifted this is cheerfully power packed. Fully fleshed out and showing the quality of the vintage to the full. Red fruits with a touch of gentle spice and a long finish.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+ Recommended drinking from 2027 -2034
£750/ case of 6 bottles, in bond UK
As Aubert de Villaine has said before – “there is no such thing as good vintages or bad vintages there are just easy Vintages and difficult vintages” it is this concept that brings the great estates to the top of the tree so very regularly. 2018 was in the latter camp.
2017 to go back one year has seen spring frost and then drought. Then 2018 started with a lot of rain in May, most of the month was wet in fact, so you have an uneven fruit set and a lot of disease pressure which is in turn hard to treat, especially when the ground is so wet. In contrast to the spring the summer was dry on the whole and actually very hot (as we saw in many other regions). As Roberto put it “Day/night temperature changes were the problem here” (or rather the lack of them). The actual picking dates especially considering the mid-summer heat were on the late side.
“All about elegance and finesse” is how Roberto put it and it is hard to disagree. Good colour. Lovely airy nose with great lift, a little red as well as darker cherry. Tiny hints of spearmint. Interestingly this was picked 7 days earlier than Francia, next door. It is so very easy to see why the purchase of Arione was so logical for Roberto. A wonderful addition.
Recommended drinking from 2025 - 2036
£1,095/ case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £400/ case of 1 magnum, in bond UK £900/ case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
A slightly darker colour than usual with a deep core. Cherry and some spice. A rich, almost pungent nose with a dash of winter strawberry. This has more overt tannin than some vintages “The more tannin in Cerretta is a good thing” says Roberto. This is dense and moreish but never heavy.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2025 – 2034+
£1,095/ case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £400/ case of 1 magnum, in bond UK £900/ case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
Another (like 2016 & 2017) vintage in which there is no Monfortino which might explain the richness, even a decadence,coolfruitcharacter,realcomplexityhere.The saline edge is here but the fruit depth is really something, degraded and fresh at the same time. The moreishness of the tannins and the overall texture is superb. There is a feeling of fleshiness as well Love this.
Corney & Barrow Score 18 -18.5
Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2038+
£1,095/ case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £400/ case of 1 magnum, in bond UK £900/ case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
In most vintages the Barbera wines drink best at 4-9 years of age. They become more savoury over time and continue to age (a 2001 Francia with Roberto was superb and 2008 & 2012 Cerretta recently were both great) but, as you would expect, have a less defined varietal character and energy. The 2014, 2015 & 2017 vintages are very good now. As these are unfiltered and Barbera is a thick-skinned grape variety, I would recommend standing the wines up for a few hours and decanting 15-30 minutes before serving. The perfect wine to have at home for when you just want something delicious without breaking the bank and knowing you’ll get a great experience.
The warmer* vintages drink very well when younger and served a shade cooler (13-15 degrees). The recent vintages in this bracket are 2007, 2009 & 2011. These will all improve but are ready to drink. I recommend continuing to cellar the 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015.
This is not me telling you what to do. It is my view on how you might approach drinking these wonderful wines. The wines from 2001 and before are ready to drink (according to your taste), though 2001 and 1999 continue to be youthful and are evolving gracefully. Sediment is less of an issue than with Barbera so I would either allow the wine to breathe standing up with half a glass removed (drunk!) or decant gently before serving. I far prefer the wine to warm gently and develop aromas in the glass so I, personally, do not advocate extended decanting, although some people do.
This is a wine with a vast drinking window, one of the most long-lived of all wines. The youngest vintages that I feel are drinking well now are 1997, 1998 & 2000. I would never put someone off drinking a younger vintage (especially 2002 because of the link to the 2014) as the enjoyment of watching a wine develop bottle by bottle from youth to full maturity is one of the real joys of wine. Younger vintages will require more time in the decanter.
*I had a very interesting chat with Roberto about the fact that some of the hotter vintages of Nebbiolo oddly (to my mind) seem to have less colour than the longer cooler vintages and he said it is all related to the pigment Malvidin. Malvidin is an O-methylated anthocyanidin so if you fancy exploring this then Google away!
The Sensory glass project was first conceived in July 2017 as a result of a discussion between Roberto and Zwiesel Kristallglas. Roberto had been asked by them to design a glass.
This is a project born of Roberto’s fanatical obsession with detail and the desire for his wines, and happily others’ to be enjoyed to maximum effect. The glasses are NOT designed as purely a glass for Nebbiolo and/or Barbera but for all wines (with the exception of sparkling – a problem Roberto is currently addressing – “Symphony” will join “Sensory” before long). They are designed to be very light but at the same time more sturdy than they may feel or look. They are available in both UK and Hong Kong. I have been extensively trialling the glass over the past year and think it is exceptional. Do not take my word alone for it though – you can see the glass being used more and more around the world – Charles Lachaux, another “detail man” insisted on it for the launch of his 2018s.
Symphony - Last year I was delighted to try Roberto’s other new glass – the Symphony – which is designed for sparkling wines. It is a joy and we will have some soon.
1 Thomas More Street London E1W 1YZ
T +44 (0)20 7265 2400 sales@corneyandbarrow.com
Belvoir House, High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8DH
T +44 (0)1638 600 000 newmarket@corneyandbarrow.com
Sedbury Stables, Sedbury Hall, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 5LQ
T +44 (0)1748 828 640 sedburyorders@corneyandbarrow.com
Oxenfoord Castle by Pathhead Midlothian, Scotland EH37 5UB
T +44 (0)1875 321 921 edinburgh@corneyandbarrow.com
8 Academy Street, Ayr Ayrshire, Scotland KA7 1HT
T +44 (0)1292 267 000 ayr@corneyandbarrow.com
Unit D, 6th Floor
9 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong T +852 36 94 33 33 hongkong@corneyandbarrow.com
www.corneyandbarrow.com