2013 Travaglini Nebolé Metodo Classico Brut

The Travaglini family has owned land in Gattinara since the beginning of the 19th century. The vines here are some of the most spectacular in the world, overlooking the Alps. The family farmed a few hectares of land and produced wine for local consumption. The small winery started with Clemente Travaglini, who was succeeded by his son Arturo. It was not until 1958 however, when Arturo’s son, Giancarlo, established the eponymous Travaglini Estate Winery. It was Giancarlo who recognized a greater potential in Gattinara and executed groundbreaking changes in his vineyards and cellar, unseen before in the appellation. He pioneered research into improving viticultural methods, such as high-density planting, 100% hand-harvesting, and Guyot vine training; today commonly practiced throughout the Appellation. His passion for Nebbiolo helped raise the profile of Gattinara, a commitment that has been carried on through the generations.

Driven by a passion for exceptional Nebbiolo, the Travaglini family has been producing remarkable, limited-production wines from their eponymous estate in Gattinara for four generations. Gattinara plays an important role in Italian viticulture, but until a couple of decades after the turn of the century, this beautiful region of Alto Piemonte was nearly forgotten. A winemaking region older than Barolo, Gattinara covered almost 600 hectares by the end of the 1800s, making it one of the largest in Northern Europe. The phylloxera plague, coupled with a devastating hail storm in 1905, completely destroyed the region, and wine production in Gattinara was abandoned.

This small appellation lies in the rocky foothills of the Monte Rosa range, where ventilating winds blow down from the nearby Alps. Soils are rocky and rich in porphyry, granite, and iron, imparting a reddish color in the soil. Similar in composition to the Alps, Monte Rosa’s sedimentary rocks is highly acidic, due to low levels of calcium carbonate and magnesium, and an absence of calcium. Vines grown in this rare soil produce grapes with a unique flavor profile, as well as high acidity and tannins. Its northern, mountainous location experiences a continental climate, with very cold winters, warm, sunny summers, and a strong diurnal temperature shift.

This wine embodies the dream of Cinzia and Massimo, brought to life since 2010. Nebolè is more than just a wine; it is a project and an idea. Its essence is deeply rooted in the tradition of Piedmont's noblest and most prevalent grape variety, and it is the innovative and surprising result of rigorous research applied to the grape clusters. Nebolè is crafted from the tips of the bunches, vinified in white, sourced from the most suitable vineyards. This sparkling wine rests on its lees for at least 46 months, where delicate tannins harmonize with the fine bubbles of the perlage, creating a dense platinum-colored mist.