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Gattinara: The Poor Man's BaroloOver the hills and through the vines we go looking for another nebbiolo we know: Gattinara. This one is known as the poor man's Barolo. Gattinara is a tiny zone in northern Piedmont that received its DOC in 1967 and DOCG in 1990. After a brief stop in Ghemme, also known for its nebbiolo wine, we arrive in the historic medieval town of Gattinara for a quick walking tour. Back in the car and a few traffic circles around the outskirts we finally find the dirt road that leads us to a very imposing modern building among the vines and trees, Travaglini is a fourth generation family run winery. When entering you are greeted by Nebbia, the black lab. Andrea, the export manager, greeted us and spent many hours with us touring the vineyards and winery. Travaglini is not only the largest producer of Gattinara, but we feel, and we know we are not alone, that it is also the best. They have been listed in Wine Spectator's best 100 wines and the Reserva has also received 3 Biccieri's. There are 100 hectares of DOCG Gattinara and Travaglini owns 60. There are 5,000 vines to a hectare and when they prune the vines they leave only four or five grape clusters on each. Now that's quality control! We drove around these vineyards and what beautiful sights - you see the medieval hilltop towns in the distance with the snow covered Alps and Mount Rosa as a backdrop. The harvest had already been completed, in fact earlier than usual, and it is predicted to be an excellent vintage. This winery makes only Gattinara so you know the quality is there. The grapes are all harvested by hand and the solids from the must are used as fertilizer. This rocky, well drained soil formed through glacial activity is rich in minerals yet lacks limestone and potassium which is rare for Italian vineyards. The "nebbia" fog isn't here either as it is in the rest of Piedmont. Travaglini does a Gattinara Selezione that spends 2 years in Slovenian oak and 3 months in the bottle before release. They also have a Gattinara "Tre Vigne" that spends 40 months in oak (both Slovenian and a portion in French Barriques) and the 8 months in the bottle before release. You might recognize the distinctive Traviglini bottle; it's the one with the bend in the shoulder, a work of art. Though there are many stories as to the origin of this unique design we were told the intent was for it to function as a decanter. If the wine is poured correctly the sediment will rest in the shoulder of the bottle. Travaglini also makes a Reserva which spends 3 years in oak and 1 year in the bottle before release.They make this wine only in the very best of years. They will not release their wines until they feel they are ready to drink.These aging requirements are similiar to Barolo which ages 2 years in wood and 1 year in the bottle before its release. Travaglini's Gattinara can be a great rival to Barolo's, it is rich with depth and complexity. We have been fans of this winery for a very long time. When you experience the wines of Travaglini you will understand why. By Sandi Schmidt and Bonnie Ossman, Nyack Wine Cellar
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