Gattinara

Piedmont is famous for its Nebbiolo grape used to make Barolo and Barbaresco, the King and Queen of Italian wines. Further north, in the subregion of Alto Piedmont, the village of Gattinara sits at the base of the Alps. Nebbiolo is still the star of the show here, although it’s known by its local name, Spanna. 
 
The vineyards of Gattinara date back to the Roman Empire and for centuries produced the most famous Nebbiolo based wines in the world. Thomas Jefferson was reportedly a big fan. But two world wars, the Phylloxera outbreak and an economic collapse forced most of the regions winemakers to abandon their trade and move to cities to pursue other work. 
 
The soil in Gattinara is fine, gravelly, volcanic and generally has more acid than the soil of the Langhe in the south. The resulting wines tend to be elegant and medium bodied – more similar to Pinot Noir but with much higher tannins and acidity. Spanna makes a softer and lighter wine than Barolo and Barbaresco and many in Italy see Spanna as less powerful but more poetic than its southerly cousins. 
 
Luckily, Gattinara has been experiencing a winemaking comeback over the last few decades. There are only a dozen or so producers, but we made the trip and found one we love.

Legendary winemaker Mauro Franchino and his nephew Alberto Raviciotti farm a small vineyard in the shadow of the Castelle Tower, a medieval fortress atop the hill above the village. (It used to be required that all wines from Gattinara include the Tower on their labels, but Franchino is now the only winery doing so.) They only choose the best Spanna, typically using less than 30% of their crop, selling the remaining 70% to other producers. Franchino wines are considered amongst the finest and the most authentic in the appellation.