Gattinara (1975)

About this wine

This is a Gattinara from the Antoniolo estate made from 100 percent Nebbiolo, a site known for glacial and volcanic soils in Alto Piemonte. The wine typically shows an evolved aromatic profile of dried cherry, dried rose petal, leather, tobacco and a hint of tar alongside savory forest floor notes. On the palate expect bright acidity that keeps the wine lively, tannins that have softened with age but still give structure, and a texture that is lean and slightly austere compared with Barolo while remaining long. Historically Antoniolo ferments slowly on indigenous yeasts in concrete and matures wines in large oak casks and tonneaux, practices that support long term aging and gradual development of tertiary flavors. Bottlings from the 1970s were among the earlier single estate releases from Antoniolo and examples from that era often show pronounced tertiary notes and a transparent garnet color that reflects decades of bottle evolution.

About the grape

Nebbiolo, locally called Spanna in Alto Piemonte, is the sole grape in Antoniolo Gattinara and has a long history in the region dating back centuries as a late ripening variety prized for its structure and longevity. In Gattinara Nebbiolo is cultivated on steep south and southwest facing slopes at elevations around 400 to 550 meters where volcanic and glacial soils of granite quartz and iron stress the vines and produce firm tannins and minerality. Antoniolo was a pioneering estate in the twentieth century for bottling 100 percent Nebbiolo and single vineyard expressions, managing old vines often planted in the 1950s to 1970s with low intervention practices, concrete fermentations and extended cask aging. For the 1975 bottlings this meant using mature Spanna vines from those prime crus, traditional training and long macerations to extract the grape's age worthy structure.

Quick facts

• 🕰️ The 1975 bottling came only a year after Antoniolo began releasing single‑vineyard Gattinaras, so it’s one of the estate’s earliest cru-labelled vintages.
• 🍇 Antoniolo makes its Gattinara as 100% Nebbiolo, so a 1975 Antoniolo is a pure expression of Alto Piemonte’s Nebbiolo rather than a blend.
• 🗺️ In the 1970s Antoniolo owned the Osso San Grato monopole, so some 1975 bottles may come from a single, tightly held vineyard plot prized for its unique minerality.
• 👩‍🌾 Rosanna Antoniolo championed bottling crus in the 1970s after a suggestion from journalist Luigi Veronelli, making a 1975 Antoniolo part of a female‑led pioneering chapter in Gattinara history.
• 🌹 Antoniolo Gattinaras are famously long lived, so a 1975 bottle often shows evolved, savory aromas like dried rose leather tar and forest floor that collectors hunt for.

Palate profile

Producer

Antoniolo, established in 1948 by Mario Antoniolo in Gattinara, Italy, is renowned for its pioneering role in the region's winemaking. In the 1950s and 60s, the family acquired some of Gattinara's finest vineyards, including a monopole on the Osso San Grato vineyard. In 1974, Mario's daughter, Rosanna, revolutionized local practices by bottling single-vineyard wines, a first for Gattinara. Today, the estate spans 14 hectares and is managed by siblings Alberto and Lorella Antoniolo, maintaining a commitment to traditional methods and producing approximately 4,600 cases annually.