New Year means a new release of... 2010?! 

There's plenty to chew on in this wine's name. The first thing you'll notice is probably the vintage. Is it a library release? A special one-off long-guarde cuvée?
 
No and no. This is just how old-school Petterino does it: age the wine until it's ready to drink. And this being a Riserva Nebbiolo from the mineral rich soils of Alto Piemonte, the 2010 is finally ready to drink. In fact, if you've been lucky enough to taste some of the bottles of Nebbiolo (or Spanna, as they call it up there) we've offered from the '90s, '80s '70s and before, you'll know full well that while the 2010 may be ready to drink, it's still got a long way to go. 
 
The second thing you may have recognized is the appellation. Gattinara is a tiny winemaking region in the foothills between Barolo and the Alps. It wasn't too well known until Roberto Conterno, arguably the greatest grower in Barolo, bought a local producer (Nervi, now Nervi-Conterno) and gave the region some much-deserved and renewed fame.
 
"Renewed fame" because Gattinara was, indeed, famous until the late 19th century when disease, war, industrialization (the usual factors in too many of Europe's historic wine regions) decimated the industry.  But its fame was justified. An ancient tradition of winemaking. Incredible terroir with mineral-rich soils full of iron and volcanic elements, with sediments and glacial runoff from the mountains. Micro-climates that balanced the altitude and latitude with sun and warmth. No wonder Roberto Conterno was inspired to come here. 
 
Of course, none of this would matter if  the wine weren't made by a top notch grower. Mediocre 10-year-old wine, even from a great appellation in a great year, isn't really worth the bother. But Petterino is a still-undiscovered gem of a producer and the wine is well worth bothering over!
 
As you would guess of a producer that holds wine back fo 10+years, this Petterino is a traditional producer. Work is by hand, old botti in the cellar (though the wine also ages in stainless), unrushed winemaking. 
 
And that approach is expressed in the wines, which don't rush at you with oodles of fruit aromatics or punch you with big fruit and huge tannins. They are elegant and aromatic mountain wines that weave aromas of earth and flowers and anise with the fruit notes. The palate is long and deep with iron and fruit and some animal notes.
 
The wine just landed and is online right now at special release pricing (good through the end of the day, Friday). We think we have enough to satisfy all orders but the wine is, of course, limited -- and when it's gone it will be gone.

Buy it now HERE

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Petterino, Gattinara Riserva, 2010

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