2021 Cantine Nervi-Conterno Gattinara Vigna Valferana 750 ml

Among the Piedmont’s great names, one stands at the summit: Roberto Conterno. He makes Italy’s most coveted wine, the $1,000 Conterno Barolo Monfortino, at his family’s estate. Wine Advocate called it “the ultimate benchmark for vino italiano.”

But even some of Conterno’s biggest fans don’t know his other Piedmont project, Cantine Nervi-Conterno, which is making some of the greatest Nebbiolo out there—at a fraction of the cost of the Giacomo Conterno bottles.

We’ve been following the wines ever since 2018. That’s when Roberto bought Nervi, the oldest estate in Gattinara (the most prestigious terroir in Alto Piemonte). Roberto saw the potential in the region, which is higher and cooler than Barolo, as it has long produced excellent wines. Climate change is making them even better. 

The top wines from Nervi-Conterno, like today’s 2021 Cantine Nervi-Conterno Gattinara Vigna Valferana, are absolutely undervalued. This is one of his two top wines in Gattinara, from a historic Grand Cru vineyard that’s been treasured for nearly eight centuries—and a top Piedmontese vintage. A Conterno Barolo in the same class will easily set you back $250. 

This is not just a wine from a great vintage made by a legendary winemaker—the vineyard itself is one of the grandest in Italy. It’s been famous since the 1200s for the quality of its wines, thanks to its west-facing slope of vines, well-draining volcanic soils, and elevation that allows the Nebbiolo planted there to enjoy a long hangtime and produce incredibly sophisticated, mineral-rich wines. 

Roberto uses the same techniques in Gattinara that he does for his coveted Baroli: the same fermenters, the same high-tech destemmers to ensure fine tannins, the same expensive custom bottling line. The fermentations are similar at both estates—exceptionally traditional, with three to four-week maceration on the skins.

When you taste with Conterno, he loves to present his Barolos and Gattinaras together, to show that the wines are absolute peers. Prices for the Nervi-Conterno Gattinaras have gone up significantly year over year, and as Antonio Galloni notes, “the wines from the two estates can absolutely stand side by side.”