Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi 2019

Regularly $19.99

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91 pts James Suckling

All about freshness, yet this manages a stunning amount of complexity for something so quaffable.  Pale straw in color with gold accents, fresh peach blossom and magnolia floral aromas start us off on a very expressive nose, followed by ruby red grapefruit running to almost tropical, mango fruit.  Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, the palate is dominated by bright, juicy pear, white peach, and lemon zest flavors, with brilliant, racy acidity.  There’s a wonderful wet stone minerality, adding Old World class and elegance to such a refreshing wine.

From 100% of the indigenous Cortese grape, this is super food-friendly, and would make a classic pair with fried calamari, or a Genovese pesto sauce, and also has the acidity to hold up to a salad with vinaigrette.  The wine goes through just a partial malolactic fermentation, giving it a bit more richness and texture in the mouth, without losing any of its dry, mineral-tinged character.

Villa Sparina was founded by Stefano Moccagatta, who declared, “I want to prove to the world that Gavi is a serious white wine…fresh, precise, and beautiful.”   Since taking over for Stefano in 1997, his children have realized that goal, reducing yields, renovating the cellar, and hiring rockstar winemaker Beppe Caviola.  Their top bottling from the Monterotondo cru was the first ever to wine Tre Bicchiere from Italy’s Gambero Rosso, and also the first to garner 90 points from the Wine Spectator.

Totally delicious and a joy to drink, from a family committed to making the Gavi name one to be reckoned with, what more could you ask for?  OK, and it comes in a cool-looking bottle!

“A creamy and fruity white with sliced apples and pears, as well as some flint, parsley and fennel undertones. Medium-bodied, fresh and satisfying. Drink now.” JS

Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Saturday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.