Gattinara Luca Caligaris 2020

The Gattinara by Luca Caligaris is a manifesto of austerity and depth, a faithful narrator of one of the areas where Nebbiolo reaches its expressive peak. 'A sip of Gattinara, provided it is true, of course. I ask for no more!' Mario Soldati, the unforgettable journalist and writer, concluded one of his most famous passages about wine this way, and we can state with due certainty that if he had tasted Luca's, he would not have been disappointed. Right here, in the famous municipality, Luca cultivates just over two hectares almost entirely dedicated to Nebbiolo with a few rows of Uva rara, far from trends or easy shortcuts. A unique terroir, with volcanic soils rich in minerals and porphyries, which give the liquids that unmistakable almost ferrous minerality. Good already now, but it does not fear rather long aging in the cellar.

The Gattinara Caligaris is produced with pure Nebbiolo grapes grown in the eponymous municipality, more precisely in the fractions of Osso, Castelle, and Lurghe. Agriculture dedicated to maximum respect and to the least possible intervention, which is finalized in the cellar with spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in steel containers and maceration on the skins for about 20 days. It ages for 36 months in 25 hectoliter oak barrels.

The Gattinara Caligaris presents itself in the glass with the typical clear and luminous garnet robe. A splendid nose for how it combines austerity and definition, not at all stingy with descriptors: ripe cherry, licorice, mineral puffs, and dog rose sketching a profile of great classicism and rigor. A three-dimensional, elegant, and filling sip, but without ever showing the muscles in a forced way. The saline finish drags the persistence of the liquid, which always moves in the direction of refined complexity.