Nicola Gatta
NICOLA GATTA

Artisan vigneron crafting radical sparkling, redefining Italian Metodo Classico

snapshot

Region: Gussago, Lombardy, Italy 
Style: Artisan Metodo Classico sparkling
Vineyard: Hillside limestone parcels on the eastern edge of Franciacorta
Farming: Hand-worked, low-intervention viticulture
Cellar: Spontaneous ferments, no filtration, no added sulfites
Curiosity: Aging tracked in lunar cycles — 
lune, not months

“I take my choices step by step: sometimes going forward, sometimes going backwards. My method is classic, but it wants to be a hymn to diversity.”

NICOLA GATTA

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HOW HE GOT HERE

Nicola Gatta grew up in Gussago, on the eastern edge of Franciacorta, surrounded by vineyards but never drawn to the region's dominant model. While Franciacorta built its reputation on consistency and polish, Nicola built his on independence. Working with small hillside parcels rich in limestone, he took time to understand his land before making decisions in the cellar — a deliberate inversion of how most producers work.

His most defining choice was stepping outside the Franciacorta DOCG entirely. Free from denomination constraints, he could follow his own timing, respond to each vintage on its own terms, and allow spontaneous fermentations and extended lees aging to shape the wines without compromise. What emerged was a body of work that is unmistakably classical in technique yet deeply personal in character — sparkling wines built on patience, observation, and a quiet refusal to conform.

Where The Wine Is Born

Gussago sits where Franciacorta's flat, glacial-moraine landscape begins to climb toward the Prealps. Nicola's vineyards occupy hillside parcels at moderate altitude, on pure limestone soils that set them apart from much of the appellation. Where Franciacorta's typical terroir delivers roundness and approachability, these calcareous slopes produce something sharper — wines with tension, mineral drive, and a structural backbone that only reveals itself slowly.

Cooling breezes from the north preserve acidity and extend the ripening season, allowing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to develop complexity without losing precision. The setting is quiet and rural, far removed from any industrial scale. These hillsides don't produce volume — they produce character. Every cuvée carries the imprint of limestone, altitude, and a pace of work that refuses to be rushed.

GUSSAGO

How the wine feels

Electric

Fine bubbles and limestone tension create a vibrant, mouthwatering drive.

Textural Depth

Long lees aging builds quiet richness beneath the freshness.

Structured Energy

Acidity, minerality, and pressure move together with focus and lift.

FOR THE NERDS

Nicola is one of the most genuine people we've worked with — humble, curious, and completely obsessed with his vineyards in the best possible way. He's also a serious drinker, constantly tasting across regions and learning from other producers. That curiosity shows in the wines.
The winery sits in Gussago, on the eastern border of Franciacorta, around 400m above sea level, on pure limestone soils that are rare within the appellation. Nicola works intentionally outside the Franciacorta DOCG — a deliberate choice to avoid denomination constraints and let each vintage speak without compromise. He farms Chardonnay and Pinot Noir across small hillside parcels, vinifying exclusively with spontaneous fermentations, no filtration or clarification, and zero added sulfites at any stage.

Lees aging is extended and tracked in lunar cycles — lune rather than months — a practice that reflects his belief in natural rhythm over technical control. Some cuvées are classical and mineral-driven; others push further, shaped by parcel, season, and instinct. Alongside the sparkling range, he produces a small quantity of a red from Barbera and Marzemino. Every bottle is a direct expression of place and process — nothing added, nothing hidden.

"Suoli Calcarei, Nessun Compromesso"