Vallana Gattinara Inquiry

Y

Yule Kim

Yule Kim
I've seen and read a lot about the Vallana "Spanna," but haven't seen a lot written up about the Vallana Gattinara. Anyone familiar with their Gattinara and how it differs from their Spanna? How about their 1976s?

I also read that the Gattinara DOC wasn't established until 1967. Could it be that the Gattinara is from the same vineyards as the Spanna?
 
Vallana did not start bottling wine under the Gattinara-name until the mid-70's. Before this everything was labelled Spanna. It is quite strong rumors that Antonio Vallana during the "Spanna-period" often blended in wine from different areas. Something he had to skip being a part of the DOC. After converting his wines to DOC-standards the quality dropped.

As for the single-vineyard spannas two of his crus were from the Gattinara-zone; Campi Raudii and San Lorenzo.
 
Mannie Berk told me that after admiring the wines of Vallana for several years, he got a chance to travel to Piemonte for a visit to the winery. Shortly after arriving at his hotel, Mannie received a note informing him that Mr. Vallana had died the previous day, and that the visit must be cancelled.
 
I gather you've been perusing winebid!

I've had many Gattinaras pre-'67 so the emergence of the DOC isn't really relevant to when "Gattinara" came into existence.

While some of Vallana's sites are geographically coterminous with Gattinara, the profile of the old Vallana Spannas is most definitely NOT what one thinks of as Gattinara.

I think that '76 is probably too late to capture any of that old Vallana magic, but I don't really know the precise date when they fell off the cliff.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Mannie Berk told me that after admiring the wines of Vallana for several years, he got a chance to travel to Piemonte for a visit to the winery. Shortly after arriving at his hotel, Mannie received a note informing him that Mr. Vallana had died the previous day, and that the visit must be cancelled.
Click to expand...

When did he attempt that visit?
 
originally posted by Steven Van Haren:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Mannie Berk told me that after admiring the wines of Vallana for several years, he got a chance to travel to Piemonte for a visit to the winery. Shortly after arriving at his hotel, Mannie received a note informing him that Mr. Vallana had died the previous day, and that the visit must be cancelled.
Click to expand...

When did he attempt that visit?
Click to expand...

Right after Vallana died.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by Steven Van Haren:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Mannie Berk told me that after admiring the wines of Vallana for several years, he got a chance to travel to Piemonte for a visit to the winery. Shortly after arriving at his hotel, Mannie received a note informing him that Mr. Vallana had died the previous day, and that the visit must be cancelled.
Click to expand...

When did he attempt that visit?
Click to expand...

Right after Vallana died.
Click to expand...

A ha!
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
I think that '76 is probably too late to capture any of that old Vallana magic, but I don't really know the precise date when they fell off the cliff.
Click to expand...

Spanna campi raudii 1972 was a tremendous bottle in April. But it is my understanding also that '76 is too late.
 
originally posted by Steven Van Haren:
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
Mannie Berk told me that after admiring the wines of Vallana for several years, he got a chance to travel to Piemonte for a visit to the winery. Shortly after arriving at his hotel, Mannie received a note informing him that Mr. Vallana had died the previous day, and that the visit must be cancelled.
Click to expand...

When did he attempt that visit?
Click to expand...

Wow, Steven Van Haren!

This is a crazy coincidence, because a guy who works for Vallana's current importer has the exact same name.

So weird how things like this can happen.
 
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