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Antoniolo Gattinara San Francesco 2012  - First Bottle

Reviews

93 Wine Spectator -
This intense version reveals licorice, cherry, tar, leather and stony mineral aromas and flavors in spades. Fresh and savory, with a long, chalky feel on the finish. Shows fine potential and plenty of life ahead. Best from 2020 through 2033. 305 cases made.

Technical Details

  • BlendNebbiolo
  • CountryItaly
  • RegionPiedmont
  • AppellationGattinara
  • VineyardSan Francesco
  • Alcohol14%

Antoniolo Gattinara San Francesco 2012

Other Reds  |  Italy
WS93

35% off retail!
Too late, we are SOLD OUT!

As you know, we’ve gone Nebbiolo crazy here at First Bottle, and if you want to drink Barbaresco and Barolo as much as we do, you need to know about Gattinara - the new frontier for savvy Neb-lovers. This region, north of Alba about 50 miles or so, is making some of the best wines in its history. We just scored an astoundingly well-priced parcel of Antoniolo, a revered producer since 1955 and a pioneer of the region.

Here is the 93 point WS review: “This intense version reveals licorice, cherry, tar, leather and stony mineral aromas and flavors in spades. Fresh and savory, with a long, chalky feel on the finish. Shows fine potential and plenty of life ahead. Best from 2020 through 2033. 305 cases made."

We found it to be wildly complex, shifting its personality with air from having some elegant almost Burgundian-like characteristics, and then charging back to remind you you ARE drinking Nebbiolo - the cherry fruit is pronounced but there is so much Chinese 5 spice, fine herbs and wild mushroom to keep this crazy compelling. This is SO elegant and fine. It has all the flavors and intensity and weight of Barbaresco, say, without the chewy tannins. The tannins here are extremely well integrated and long, they sneak up on you in the finish and provide a wonderful backdrop of subtle structure and depth. This bottling is drinking fantastically now (shakes head in disbelief), and will for another decade at least! Don't miss if you are a lover of Nebbiolo!

Crazy-good price! $44.95! Given how fast things are selling, you might want to jump on this one!

About the Producer

“Antoniolo remains a reference point for what Nebbiolo in northern Piedmont is all about. I can’t recommend these wines highly enough.” -Antonio Galloni 

“Antoniolo’s bottles contain the best of Northern Piedmont’s heritage. Hard-boned and only apparently lean, they can survive the decades while making all their greatness immediately obvious.” – Gambero Rosso

The Antoniolo company was founded by Cav. Mario Antoniolo in the 1940s, and is now run by his daughter Rosanna. Now the grandchildren, Alberto and Lorella, are taking the reins. The Antoniolo family owns over 14 hectares of vineyards in the Alpine foothills, an hour's drive north of Barolo and Barbaresco.