2011 Travaglini Gattinara

Travaglini is a family-owned wine estate in the tiny Gattinara appellation within north Italy's renowned Piedmont region. Established in the 1920s by Clemente Travaglini, the winery is Gattinara's most esteemed producer of traditional, limited-production wines from the nebbiolo grape (known locally as spanna). The family's passion for winemaking has not diminished through the generations; Cristina and Cinzia Travaglini, great-granddaughters of Clemente, manage day-to-day operations at winery. Cinzia's husband Massimo Collauto is chief winemaker, a role he inherited from his late father-in-law and beloved mentor, Giancarlo Travaglini (winemaker at Travaglini for 45 years). Giancarlo's wife, Lilliana, oversees vineyard operations. Travaglini wines are easily recognized by their distinctive bottle shape, featuring a unique curve that fits naturally in the palm of the hand and serves to catch sediment during decanting. Designed by a glassmaker to celebrate the excellent 1952 vintage, the bottle was so well received that family decided to keep it as their trademark.

VinificationFollowing traditional red fermentation, the wine is aged for one year in French oak barriques, followed by 18 months in Slovenian oak casks and six months in bottle.