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I find it very funny that one of my earliest wine memories was of going to a particular restaurant in Little Italy in New York on Sundays and seeing this bottle on every red and white checkered tablecloth. Even though I was just a kid, I particularly remember the bottle because of its odd shape, and the fact that my older sister often took the empties home to make candelabras from them. I guess it wouldn’t ignite when the wax dripped on it like the straw-covered Chianti might. But so vivid is my memory of this particular wine that when I discovered it in my ‘real’ wine life, back in the 1980s, I, too, took a bottle home reused it as the house olive oil dispenser!  The bottle shape dates back to 1958 when Arturo Travaglini took over the family property and bottled his first Gattinara. His notion was that the arched back of the bottle makes it easier to handle and pour, and that since the Nebbiolo inside could, over time, throw a ‘crust,’ if the bottle was handled correctly, the sediment would stay under the arch and separate itself from the wine. Clearly, he suspected, the wine would age. And so it does, effortlessly. Gattinara, even though it has been producing DOC wine since 1967 and DOCG wine since 1990, is simply not yet as well-known as Barolo and Barbaresco, its neighbors to the southwest, but this area of high sunbaked alpine amphitheaters is equally well-suited for growing the Nebbiolo grape. These hills open to the west directly on the Alps creating one of the most singular micro-climates in Italy. Here the Nebbiolo grape, locally called Spanna, takes on a more delicate Pinot Noir-like character and, traditionally, up to 10% of the local grapes Bonarda di Gattinara (adds a lively snap) and Vespolina are blended into the wine. In bygone days, this marginal climate would fail to ripen grapes as often as succeed, as the fall rains, frosts and, often, snows descend early up here, but nature has been generous over these past twenty years and Gattinara is no longer such a rarely-seen wine. In fact, because the area is cooler than either Barolo or Barbaresco, in exceedingly hot years like 2000, 2003, 2005, 2015 and 2017, the wines here are usually sleeker and better balanced. We know they can age- that reputation here goes back centuries and the locals speak of Gattinara’s reputation for lasting longer than any other wine in northern Italy. Travaglini is currently run by Arturo’s son Giancarlo’s wife, her two daughters and a son-in-law. A complete renovation of the winery in the nineties helped modernize the style here without sacrificing the family’s steadfast adherence to traditional winemaking. The Tre Vigne cuvee is something truly special. Coming from three separate subplots of the estate, it represents the oldest and highest altitude vines the Travaglinis farm and an incredible insight into what makes Gattinara one of the most unique growing areas in Italy. Nebbiolo-heads will love the purity of the fruit and the violets, ‘underbrush’ and clove-like spice.  Unlike the gutsier (in terms of tannin and bold acidity) Barolos we are used to, it’s a subtler, more minor key rendition of the grape that is delightfully perfumed and extremely nuanced. And ready to drink too!  Like a similarly-aged Burgundy, simple foods made well bring out the best in this wine. The great alpine cheeses of the region are a good place to start (check out the mixed-milk La Tur- a cupcake of pure cheese luxury- but save it for your whites) but dishes focused on wild mushrooms, braised beef and veal also work very well. Yes, you can certainly and happily drink this now. And, while you’re at it, renew your olive oil dispenser at the same time.

Antonio Galloni The 2018 Gattinara Tre Vigne is a very beautiful wine. Macerated cherry, spice, leather, licorice, incense and tobacco all soar from the glass, with a touch of warming alcohol that adds complexity. Supple and inviting, with terrific depth, the Tre Vigne is very nicely done in 2018. 93 points

Wine Enthusiast: As its name suggests, this wine is a blend of three specific vineyards within Gattinara. It opens with dried black cherry and balsamic and pine notes, leading to dried red and purple flowers with sweet spices. The generous palate gives warmed red berries framed by firm yet elegantly placed tannins. Mouthwatering acidity lingers on the finish. 93 points