Travaglini Gattinara Nebbiolo 2022

Travaglini Gattinara Nebbiolo 2022 is a compelling expression of Nebbiolo from northern Piedmont, where the grape takes on a decidedly more Alpine personality than it does farther south in Barolo and Barbaresco. Grown in the hills around Gattinara at the foot of Monte Rosa, the vines are rooted in ancient volcanic soils rich in porphyry, granite and iron, a geological signature that helps give the wines their characteristic tension, savory minerality and almost ferrous edge.

The 2022 is made from 100% Nebbiolo and aged for approximately 30 months in large Slavonian oak casks before additional bottle refinement. Rather than emphasizing sheer power, Travaglini’s style favors perfume, structure and transparency. Expect lifted aromas of red cherry, dried strawberry, rose petal and violet layered with orange peel, wild herbs, tobacco, subtle spice and the stony, iron-tinged character that is a hallmark of Gattinara. The palate is medium-bodied and energetic, with bright acidity, finely gripping Nebbiolo tannins and a long, savory finish.

Gattinara remains one of Piedmont’s great insider appellations, producing Nebbiolo with much of the aromatic complexity and longevity associated with Barolo, but with a cooler, leaner and distinctly mineral personality shaped by its Alpine setting and volcanic terrain. Travaglini, one of the denomination’s historic benchmark producers, captures that character beautifully in the 2022—a refined, traditionally styled Nebbiolo that is already expressive with air yet has the structure to develop additional complexity in the cellar.

Score 

96 points, James Suckling.