2011 Anzivino Gattinara Riserva DOCG 750 ml

As wine retailers, we tend to hone in on those moments when a bottle grabs you on a visceral, gut level, and this gorgeously perfumed, seductive Italian red did just that. With a bowl of truffle-flecked risotto and a carafe of this 2011 Anzivino Riserva in front of us, it only took one sip to realize we loved this wine, and needed to offer it to our members back home. The wine’s refreshing acidity cut right through the melted Parmigiano Reggiano (and our jetlag) while sending up a delirium of earthy, tertiary aromas of dried rose petals, rust, eucalyptus, and leather from the glass.

For Nebbiolo hunters and lovers of expressive, elegant reds, it doesn’t get much better than this— access to a delicately fragrant Editors’ Choice favorite from Wine Enthusiast, winning 94 points. After eight years in bottle, this 2011 Anzivino Gattinara Riserva has already been perfectly aged for you, making it all the more irresistible a deal at $34.99 on bottles and $24.99 on cases. If you love polished, supple, cherry-scented Barolos and Barbarescos but love a steal even more, this is for you.

We were in Verona for Vinitaly but on the advice of a trusted importer, we extended our trip by a few days to head west up into the mountains to Piedmont’s Gattinara region, which had been gathering serious buzz at the expo. While there, an early dinner at a streetside cafe served as our introduction to top Gattinara producer Anzivino. Poured alongside the regional specialty risotto, the magic of this wine came alive for us, and we’re thrilled to share it with you today. 

If Barolo is the cello, Gattinara’s Nebbiolos are the violin—graceful, balletic, lighter in weight, and made from grapes cultivated in mineral-rich volcanic soil on steep slopes. Winds from the Alps give this wine its bracing, high-altitude freshness and balance, while the grape’s naturally firm tannins supply a harmonious structure that Antonio Stradivari would admire.

Gattinara used to be a viticultural powerhouse, one of the very first DOCs formed in Italy, and a pioneer in large oak cask aging. But like many Italian wine regions it fell into mediocrity in the mid-century, and was only recently revitalized by a handful of producers who are crafting exquisitely site-transparent expressions. Anzivino is among the most critically acclaimed, headed by the talented Emanuele Anzivino and agronomist Beppe Zatti.

In the best hands—top Barolo makers, cult Valtellina producers like Ar.pe.pe—Nebbiolo achieves a haunting beauty that lingers long after the meal. It certainly did for us that April evening in Gattinara as we wandered the town’s narrow streets. This bottle offers that very quality at a superb value, cellared to drink now.