Gavi, Marchesi di Barolo
Gavi, Marchesi di Barolo,
Piedmont, Italy 2010.
Last spring, I was lucky enough to make a trip to the regions of Umbria and the Abbruzzi, and I became very aware of the reasons why we Frenchmen may consider Italians to be our continental cousins. Our rural heritage gives us both a love and passion for good food from an early age, while we also develop a keen interest in good wines as we grow up. Similarly to France, wine is part of a typical Italian meal, yet there are some key distinctions between our two nations.
Italy is a very interesting winemaking country, primarily due to the fact that, as a nation, it is an eclectic mix of varying cultures and regions with their own distinct local indentities. Ranging from the Germanic influence of the Dolomites in the north, down to Sicily and its Moorish traditions, the variety of flavours and smells presented by Italian wine covers and enormous spectrum.
Traditionally, Italian red wines tend to grab all the headlines, produce from Chianti and Barolo attracting interest from all accross the globe, but I am also a great lover of the country’s whites, and I believe they are massively underated. This year we have added The Gavi to the Aviator wine list, a personal favourite which I am sure you will agree is absolutely delightful.
The Cellars of Marchesi di Barolo are located in the village of Barolo, overlooking the castle of the Marquis Falletti. In fact, the building which today houses the winery also belonged to the Marquis Falletti and became, upon the extinction of this prestigious dynasty, the site of the charitable foundation called Opera Pia Barolo. Now controlled and run by the Abona family, the winery received a new impetus and is driving the search for quality in the Piedmont region. Most of the grapes for Gavi’s production come from Rovereto di Gavi, which is considered the best terrior of the Gavi production zone.
This is a classically styled Gavi from a top producer whose passion and expertise is displayed in their wines. The delicate lemon colour leads to a complex nose of citrus, apples, pears, wild flowers, and aromatic herbs.
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