Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Travaglini Gattinara best expresses the classic qualities of the appellation; it is a wine with marked minerality and complexity. Deep ruby red in color with garnet reflections. On the nose, aromas of red fruit, blackberry, plum and licorice with hints of vanilla and leather. Full-bodied palate, with intense flavors of cherry, raspberry and spice culminating in a long and smooth finish. Outstanding with red meat, game, and hard cheeses
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful freshness and poise to this Gattanara with nutmeg, dried rose petals, saffron and cinnamon. A finely constructed structure follows with velvety, steely tannins and a spiced, chewy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Packaged in that trademark bottle that feels so good in the palm of your hand, the Travaglini 2016 Gattinara offers aromas of forest berry, wild rose, tar and licorice, and there's a slightly exotic aroma as well that hints at Asian spice or church incense. It's a very faint accent that appears as the wine opens slowly in the glass. There is beautiful harmony and complexity here, and you can pick up on that slightly sweet note of peach or sun-dried apricot that I associate with Nebbiolo from the Gattinara appellation. This is a classic expression that shows the firmness and acidity to promise a smooth future aging process.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Travaglini Gattinara is an excellent example of an attractive Old World Nebbiolo. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings forth aromas and flavors of black fruit, earth, and clean rusticity. Serve it with a classic, slow-cooked, beef stew. (Tasted: September 16, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
Attracting the most glory, prestige and fame to the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo in all of its expressions—Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Ghemme and Gattinara—creates a complex wine, truly unique for its delicate qualities combined with strength and a great potential to improve over time.
But Nebbiolo isn’t all there is to red wine from Piedmont! Barbera is the most planted variety and historically most popular as a dependable, food-friendly, everyday wine.
Beyond these two, a surprising number of red varieties call Piedmont their home. Worth a try include Dolcetto for its bold concentration and aromas of spice cake. Other grapes to investigate include Freisa, Croatina, Brachetto, Grignolino and Pelaverga.