Nervi-Conterno
A single-vineyard Gattinara DOCG from Nervi-Conterno, Roberto Conterno's Alto Piemonte estate. 100% Nebbiolo on volcanic soil: floral and red-fruited with a ferrous, wet-stone minerality, firm tannin and the structure to age toward 2050. Recent vinta
A drinker and critic consensus for the Valferana cru: floral, red-fruited Nebbiolo carrying the ferrous minerality of Gattinara's volcanic soils. Vivino logs 4.2 from 1,773 ratings, and Vinous and Wine Advocate score recent vintages 95 to 96.
Valferana shows the lifted, floral side of Gattinara: violet and dried rose over raspberry and red cherry, with a twist of orange peel. Air brings juniper and a sweet alpine-herb note. Vivino tasters most often log earthy leather and iron alongside the red fruit.
Orange peel
Rose petal
Violet
Cherry
Raspberry
Tar
Wet stones
LeatherHigh Alto Piemonte acidity and fine, slightly sandy-grained tannin frame a medium body. The volcanic porphyry of this west-facing cru reads as a ferrous, wet-stone minerality beneath the red-berry fruit. Three years in large oak botti has been absorbed into the wine rather than flavouring it, leaving the savoury, mineral core exposed.
Long and savoury, closing on tar, liquorice and that iron-tinged minerality rather than oak. The fragrant, vertical Valferana style favours finesse over the denser power of the Molsino cru.
A top-cru Gattinara from Roberto Conterno's Nervi, built for the cellar: Vivino drinkers rate it 4.2 across 1,773 ratings, and recent vintages won 95 to 96 points from Falstaff, Vinous and Wine Advocate. Decant young bottles or hold; it rewards game, braised beef and truffle. For drinkers who want Barolo-grade Nebbiolo with brighter, cooler-climate freshness.
Four vintages are live here, from the 2016 around 67 pounds to the 2019 and 2020 near 124 pounds. Stock is thin: this is a single-vineyard Gattinara made in small quantity by Roberto Conterno's Nervi.
Scored for how this Gattinara cru actually performs: a food and cellar champion, a poor everyday or beginner pick given its tannin, price and need for cellar time.
Medium-tannin, high-acid Nebbiolo is built for the table: it cuts braises, refreshes game and bridges to mushroom and truffle.
DOCG aged three years in large oak with firm tannin; Vinous gives the 2020 a window to 2050. Among the more age-worthy reds on the site.
A single-vineyard DOCG cru from Roberto Conterno at 67 to 124 pounds: a benchmark bottle for a serious Nebbiolo occasion.
At 67 to 124 pounds the Valferana cru sits above the Gattinara median, but 95 to 96 point critic scores and tiny volumes justify the premium.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Gattinara denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
Gattinara sits in cool Alto Piemonte, so vintage swing matters. 2016 and 2019 are classic, structured years; 2020 is the warmer, more open of the four, with a Vinous drinking window to 2050.
A cool, classic vintage in Alto Piemonte giving a fragrant, tightly structured Valferana. A recent release that needs cellar time to unwind its tannin.
A warmer but balanced year. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) rated it 96 and Monica Larner (Wine Advocate) 95, with a drinking window to 2050. Lifted, floral and red-fruited.
A classic, cooler Gattinara vintage with bright acidity and fine tannin. Falstaff scored the 2019 Valferana 96. Built for the cellar.
A benchmark Alto Piemonte year: a long, even growing season gave Valferana firm tannin and high acidity. Vivino drinkers rate the 2016 the highest of the recent run at 4.4. Now entering its window.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Valferana is one of Gattinara's two greatest crus, farmed by the estate Roberto Conterno bought in 2018 and aged three years in large oak. The price reflects the cru, the producer and tiny volumes, not marketing.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Gattinara is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Gattinara falls within Piedmont , covering Gattinara · Vercelli.
Nervi-Conterno farms Gattinara's two greatest crus, Molsino and Valferana; cru fruit from a west-facing volcanic slope commands a premium over blended Gattinara, which sells from about 28 pounds.
The Giacomo Conterno owner bought Nervi in 2018 and rebuilt the cellar; the Conterno name and a 95 to 96 point track record pull the price toward Barolo-cru territory.
All three Nervi Gattinaras are held three years in wood (Vinous), tying up cellar space and capital long before the wine is sold near 120 pounds.
Valferana is a small parcel, so allocations are limited; UK listings here run to only a single bottle per vintage, which keeps pricing firm.
UK excise duty on a still wine up to 15% ABV is 2.67 pounds a bottle at 2026 rates, and 20% VAT on a 94 pound bottle adds about 15.70 pounds before any margin.
Gattinara still trades below equivalent Barolo crus, so even this top Nervi cru lists near 120 pounds rather than the 200-plus a comparable Barolo single vineyard would fetch.
Dishes that complement this wine
The structural logic is simple: firm tannin wants collagen-rich braises, high acidity refreshes game and roasts, and the wine's forest-floor aromatics bridge to mushroom and truffle.
Valferana's firm Nebbiolo tannin needs collagen-rich, slow-cooked meat to soften: the gelatine and protein round off the grip while the wine's acidity lifts the rich braising juices.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Bollito dei Pastori · More pairings →
The cru's dried-rose, tar and forest-floor aromatics echo earthy fungi: porcini and Alba truffle meet a like-for-like savoury note rather than fighting the fruit.
Try with: Truffle risotto · Porcini mushroom risotto · Radicchio risotto · More pairings →
High Alto Piemonte acidity scrubs the palate between bites of rich, gamey meat, while the tannin stands up to the density of venison and pheasant.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Pheasant · Roast Duck · More pairings →
Medium body and a savoury, mineral length sit with nutty mountain cheese and creamy polenta without flattening them; the acidity keeps the pairing fresh.
Try with: Polenta alla Valdostana · Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto · More pairings →
Tannin and acidity scrape fat from a marbled, char-grilled steak, resetting the palate between mouthfuls the way a cooler-climate Nebbiolo does best.
Try with: Fillet steak · Ribeye steak · Sirloin steak · More pairings →
Firm tannin and 14% plus alcohol amplify chilli heat and turn metallic against delicate raw fish; the wine's grip also overwhelms sweet-and-sour sauces.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Sichuan hot pot · Sushi · Sweet-and-sour pork · Pairing guide →
Built to age: three years in large oak botti and firm Gattinara tannin give the top vintages a window stretching toward 2050. Young bottles benefit from a decant.
Peak around 2034. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
DOCG aged three years in large oak with firm tannin; Vinous gives the 2020 a window to 2050. Among the more age-worthy reds on the site.
£67.36 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:14 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · Medium100% Nebbiolo, known locally in Alto Piemonte as Spanna. Valferana is a single-vineyard (cru) bottling from Gattinara DOCG in northern Piedmont.
Azienda Vitivinicola Nervi, the oldest cantina in Gattinara (founded 1906), owned since 2018 by Roberto Conterno of the Barolo estate Giacomo Conterno. Valferana is one of its two flagship crus, alongside Molsino.
Yes. It is aged three years in large oak before release and has the tannin and acidity to cellar for decades; Vinous gives the 2020 a drinking window to 2050. Decant young bottles.
Classic Piedmontese matches: brasato (braised beef), ossobuco, bollito misto, game such as venison, and mushroom or truffle risotto. Its acidity and tannin also handle aged alpine cheeses.
Both are Nebbiolo, but Gattinara comes from cooler Alto Piemonte on volcanic soils, giving a lighter, more floral and mineral style. Antonio Galloni rates the Nervi wines alongside the Conterno Barolos.
Floral and red-fruited (violet, dried rose, raspberry, orange peel) with a ferrous, wet-stone minerality and firm tannin. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.2 across more than 1,700 ratings.
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