Gavi the Great White Wine of Piedmont

Gavi Got a New Groove: “The Queen of Piedmont is Growing for the Better.”   This event sponsored by the Consorzio Tutela del Gavi was held at The Midtown Loft & Terrace in NYC.

Lars Leicht, SOMM Journal VP for Education was the speaker.  As usual, Lars gave a very informative presentation and used slides to clarify points for the audience.  I was invited by Irene Ferri of wellcomonline.com

The Consorzio was founded in 1993 and is commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture to prompt, enhance, and protect the Gavi DOCG denomination in Italy and around the world. The Consorzio has 190 members.

Gavi is one of Piedmont’s most historical and respected white wine producing zones. The Gavi DOCG denomination is located in  south-east Piedmont, along the border with Liguria in the province of Alexandria. Gavi is the main town of the area.  The white wine Gavi is  also known as Gavi di Gavi and Cortese di Gavi. The only difference is that Gavi Di Gavi (Commune DI Gavi ) is grown around the town of Gavi.

Gavi is made from the Cortese grape and only the Cortese grape.  Cortese for Gavi is grown in 11 communes all in the province of Alessandria.

Gavi is made in different styles: Tranquillo (still) which accounts for 99% of the production. Spumante (sparkling) vinified according to the Method Classico with secondary fermentation on the lees in the bottle. Frizzante (slightly sparkling) this traditional Gavi is only made by a handful of producers. Riserva (aged) is meant for aging and is released to the market after one year of which at least 6 months are spent in the bottle.

Gavi production zone

Lars used slides to better explain the soils in the area.

Northern Belt

The red clay soils are found in the northern part of the denomination which has gentle hills.  The red soils here are rich in iron and originated from alluvial deposits accumulated  by the slow erosion of rivers. This is the warmest zone. Lars said the Gavi here has excellent body and structure.

Central Strip

The white clays are from the line that connects Serravalle, Gavi and San Cristoforo. There are alternating layers of marl and sandstone. A mix of clay, sand and pebbles in fluvial terraces, marine formations and rocks from the oceanic crust. Lars said Gavi here has great balance and structure.

Southern Belt

Here the altitude exceeds 400 meter and can go as high as 1,000 meters. Near the Apennines, soils are mostly of metamorphic origin.  Lars said it is a sparsely planted area because of the altitude and steep slopes. We did not taste any wines from this zone.

After the presentation, there was a sit down tasting of 44 Gavi wines all from the 2022 vintage. The 2022 was a very good vintage in Gavi.

Lars suggested we taste the wines from the white soils first, then those from  mixed soils and finally those from the red soils.

We sat at tables and were given pads that had our table and seat numbers. All the bottles were numbered and we wrote down the numbers of the bottles we wanted.  They were brought 6 bottles at a time by the waiter. All Gavi is DOCG and all the wines were from the 2022 vintage. Below are 9 wines: 3 from white soil, 3 from mixed soil, and 3 from red soil. Lars was correct about the order.

Gavi DOCG Commune DI Gavi “Traci “  Tacchino Romina White Soil (White Marl). The vineyard is at 310/350 meters and the exposure is southeast. Pruning system is guyot and there are 4,500 plants per hectare. Fermentation is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 12/14 C. Aging is in stainless steel tanks for at least 3 months and then bottled for the time needed. It has hints of apple, peach, citrus and fresh almonds. $20

Gavi DOCG Del Commune Di Gavi “Vigne Rade” La Toledana White soil (Marn-Calcareus). The vines  are 20 years old and the training system is guyot.  Exposure is southern and the 64 acre vineyard is at 656 ft. Harvest takes place in September. After the harvest, the grapes are destemmed, gently pressed, and the juice is fermented without skins in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. It is then matured in stainless steel tanks and bottled just a few months after the harvest in order to preserve its freshness. The wine has hints of fresh fruit, white flowers, citrus and bitter almonds.$30

Gavi DOCG Del Comune Di Gavi La Rocchin. White Soil. The vineyards are at 210 meters with a southwest exposure and the vines are 20 to 30 years old. Harvest usually takes place at the end of September. Classical white wine vinification with soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation in steel tanks with selected yeasts. The wine ages in stainless steel for 6 months on the lees and is bottled at the end of February. The wine has hints of citrus, orange blossoms and almonds. $15

Gavi DOCG Commune DI Gavi  “Mainin” La Ghibellina. Mixed Soil.  The training system is guyot with high intensity planting and the exposure is south/east, There are 6 ha of vines at 300 meters and the soil is sedimentary. Fermentation takes place in steel vats at a controlled temperature. Aging is for 4 months in stainless steel vats with stirring of the lees. The wine remains in the bottle for 2 months before release. The wine has hints of white flowers, fresh fruit, chamomile, citrus, wet stone and a hint of lemon zest. $21

Gavi DOCG Ottosoldi Mixed Soil (marlstone and limestone). The vineyard is 5.1 hectares at 250 to 300 meters and the exposure is southwest. There are 5,000 vines per hectare  and the vines are 20 years old. The training system is guyot. Manual harvest is in mid- September. Fermentation in stainless steel. Aging mainly in stainless steel and tonneaux barrels. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. Full bodied with ripe citrus fruit, hints of dried lemon, grapefruit, green apple and white blossoms. $19

Gavi DOCG Del Comune Di Gavi La Smilla Mixed Soil (clay and limestone). The age of the vines is 10 to 20 years old and the training system is guyot. Vinification is in stainless steel. The wine is aged in large barrels for 5 to 10 months and then a minimum of 2 months in bottle before release, This is a crisp full bodied wine wine has hints of citrus, honeysuckle and tropical fruit. $18

Gavi DOCG Del Comune Di Gavi Rovereto Michele Chiarlo Red Soil (Dark red clay marl) with the presence of stones. The 5 hectare vineyard is 25 years old and is at 400/500 meters with a southeast exposure. Manual harvest. The wine has hints of white flowers, golden apple, mineral notes and a touch of candied orange skins. $28

Gavi DOCG Comune Del Tassarolo “Terrarossa” La Zerba Red Soil (Clay). The vineyards are at 280-300 meters and the exposure is south, southwest. The training system is guyot and the method of pruning is Simonit & Sirch. Average age of the vines is 30 years. Harvest is in mid-September and it is exclusively by hand. Fermentation is for one week in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation is with skin maceration. Then matured in steel tanks for about 5 months after racking with repeated bâtonnage of the lees. The wine remains in the bottle for 3 months before release. The wine has hints of citrus, peach, pear and white flowers. $22

Gavi DOCG “IL Forte” Produttori Del Gavi. Red soil (red clay based alluvial).  The vineyards are at 200 to 300 meters and the exposure is southeast. There are 4,500 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. The vines are 30 years old. Harvest tales place in the middle of September. Fermentation is in temperature controlled steel tanks for 20 days. Aging is in temperature controlled steel tanks of ay least 3 months on the lees. The wine remains in bottle for one month before release. The wine has hints of pear, peach apricot and yellow plum with a mild almond finish. $14