Nicola Gatta

Artisan vigneron crafting radical sparkling, redefining Italian Metodo Classico

snapshot

Region: Gussago, Lombardy, Italy
Style: Artisan Metodo Classico sparkling
Vineyard: Small hillside parcels on limestone soils
Farming vibe: Hand-worked, low-intervention viticulture
Winemaking: Spontaneous ferments, long lees aging
Curiosity: Aging measured in lune (lunar cycles)

 

“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
Skip to results list
10 items

HOW HE GOT HERE

Nicola Gatta grew up in Gussago, on the eastern edge of Franciacorta, surrounded by vineyards but drawn early on to doing things his own way. While the region is known for polished, consortium-driven sparkling wine, Nicola chose a more independent path — one rooted in small-scale farming, patience, and personal conviction rather than production standards.

Working with hillside parcels rich in limestone soils, he focused on understanding his land before shaping his cellar practices. Over time, he moved toward a hands-on, low-intervention approach, allowing spontaneous fermentations and long aging to define his wines rather than formulas. His decision to step outside the Franciacorta DOCG framework gave him the freedom to explore timing, texture, and expression without compromise.

Today, Nicola produces Metodo Classico sparkling wines that reflect both tradition and independence. His work bridges classical technique and personal rhythm, guided less by rules and more by observation, season, and time — a slow, deliberate path that shapes wines with depth, energy, and unmistakable identity.

Where The Wine Is Born

Nicola Gatta’s vineyards lie in the hills of Gussago, on the eastern edge of Franciacorta, where the landscape begins to rise toward the Prealps. This area is defined by limestone-rich soils, a key difference from much of Franciacorta’s glacial morainic terrain. The calcareous bedrock gives the wines their signature tension, structure, and mineral drive, forming the backbone of Nicola’s sparkling cuvées.

The vineyards sit at moderate altitude, exposed to cooling breezes that preserve acidity and extend ripening. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive here, developing both ripeness and precision — a balance that becomes even more pronounced through long aging on lees. The environment is quiet, rural, and far from industrial scale, allowing a slower rhythm in both vineyard and cellar.

These hills shape wines that are not about volume or polish, but about texture, energy, and place — sparkling wines that carry the imprint of limestone slopes, patient aging, and the particular identity of Gussago.

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.
Nicola Gatta - Quattrocento

Nicola Gatta - Quattrocento

Nicola Gatta - Quattrocento
€39,00 EUR
FOR THE NERDS

Nicola Gatta is one of the most passionate and humble winemakers we’ve ever met. His love for wine and winemaking is truly inspiring, and his attention to detail is unmatched — always seeking to refine his technique and produce wines that are authentic, precise, and expressive of the land. Beyond being a great winemaker, he is also a great drinker, constantly exploring new regions, learning from other producers, and discovering new wines. A true wine artisan.

The winery is located in Gussago, a village on the eastern border of Franciacorta, around 400 m above sea level. Although Nicola works within the appellation, he intentionally opted out of the DOCG Franciacorta, freeing himself from denomination constraints to let his vineyards express themselves fully. The area rises on hilly terrain on the border of the Pianura Padana, northwest of Brescia, with pure limestone soils that impart incredible tension, vibrancy, and a distinctive minerality to the wines.

Nicola works with a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, producing artisan Traditional Method sparkling wines, alongside two very limited still wines: a red from Barbera and Marzemino and a white from Chardonnay. In the cellar, he vinifies exclusively with spontaneous fermentations, avoids filtration and clarification, and never adds sulfites at any stage. His goal is to enhance the territory’s diversity and create wines that truly reflect their origin, vintage, and the personality of the vineyard.

Every bottle is a reflection of Nicola’s philosophy: a combination of careful observation, patience, and hands-on craftsmanship. Some cuvées lean toward classical elegance, while others are more radical, revealing the unique identity of each parcel. From vineyard to bottle, his approach is meticulous, thoughtful, and deeply personal, producing wines that are alive, expressive, and unmistakably Nicola Gatta.

"Suoli Calcarei, Nessun Compromesso"