Home Winners > Winners 2017 > ITALY: North-West Whites, including Gavi

Winner Details

Italy: North-West - White, including Gavi

2017 Gold: 3 Silver: 3 Bronze: 2 Commended: 6
2016 Gold: 2 Silver: 3 Bronze: 5 Commended: 2

As always, this section was mostly about Gavi – though it was nice to see a couple of other wines picking up medals as well. There seems to be some interesting experimentation in this part of Italy (perhaps best epitomised by the £50+ La Scolca), and most of it is good, from a winemaking point of view.

The challenge, given how the public (and, indeed, much of the trade) traditionally view Gavi, will be selling it…

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘Southern Italy certainly seems to be showing a lot more promise than Northern Italy at the moment. It’s able to deliver a lot more interest at this price level.’ Martin Lam, team leader 

‘The perception of Gavi is that it’s a £25 bottle of wine. Classic customers will ask for it – it’s something they don’t have to think about. From £10 onwards these wines delivered that, which is tricky as they would be too expensive on the list,’ Christopher Delalonde MS, Bleeding Heart Group

‘This is a category that sommeliers can really get behind, but the wines have to be good.’ Rebecca Coates, consultant sommelier

‘Some [of the north-west whites] were a bit off the beaten track – but where would they sit on a wine list, and how would you justify knocking other wines off the list for them? Finding a place for some of them is difficult as they are unconventional…’ Giancarlo Cuccuru, The Ned Hotel

‘Gavi is for old school, classic customers.’ Tony Denis, Mosimann’s

Award winners

Found 14 wines

Italy: North-west, including Gavi & Barolo/Barbaresco

Guido Matteo, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner Food Match

Frances Bentley of Individual Restaurants was taken with this Gold winner’s ‘ripe, sweet stone fruit, but with a mineral, saline note, too. Concentrated on the palate, with excellent length. A match for veal Milanese.’ Team leader Angela Reddin found ‘dried sweet herbs and green apples on the palate, which has great balance of acid and minerals, and manages to be both light and intense at the same time’.

£10.05 Jascots Wine Merchants

La Scolca, d'Antan, Gavi dei Gavi 2005, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Stylistically unique, but delicious!’ began Bleeding Heart Group’s Christopher Delalonde MS in describing this deserving Gold winner, noting a nose of ‘almonds, grilled peanuts, dried straw, seaweed and saline with notes of ginger, too’, then a palate that was ‘bright, with oxidative notes that add complexity and layering, a super-stylish mid-palate with purity and class, and a long finish with tertiary flavours’. ‘Very oxidative style, and a very special hand sell,’ added team leader Angela Reddin, while Carlos Ferreira of The Sign of the Don saw this working harmoniously alongside gazpacho with oysters.

£53.15 Eurowines

Vite Colte, Villata, Roero Arneis 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

With its approachability and great value for money, this was never going to be anything but Gold. ‘Fresh stone fruit style, good body and crisp acidity with a nice finish,’ said Giancarlo Cuccuru of The Ned Hotel, with Bovey Castle’s Rustem Mingaleev also picking up ‘notes of fresh tobacco on a clean and aromatic, easy-drinking palate, for a good value choice’. ‘Grilled sea bass with toasted buckwheat,’ was Dan Cohen of Cépages Wine Bistro’s ideal pairing for this.

£8.10 VinumTerra

La Battistina, Nuovo Quadro, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Very aromatic,’ thought team leader Tom Forrest, adding: ‘Soft, ripe peach notes lead to a chalky, mineral finish.’ ‘Very fruity on the nose, with high acidity that’s very well balanced with that fruit,’ added The Sign of the Don’s Carlos Ferreira. ‘Soft, smooth and delicate,’ concluded Dan Cohen of Cépages Wine Bistro.

£8.49 Boutinot

Vite Colte, Masseria dei Carmelitani, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe golden apples with lovely pear elements, very pleasant to drink,’ began Marcin Oziebly of The Wild Rabbit, with team leader Angela Reddin noting ‘meringue and dried yellow flowers, apple flavours with a nutty edge’, and Tony Denis of Mosimann’s adding: ‘Complex nose with minerals, aromatic style, elegance and freshness, a convivial, lovely wine, easy to drink.’

£11.00 VinumTerra

Bellavista, Vigna Convento Ss Annunciata, Curtefranca Bianco 2012, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Full-on lactic and leesy nose, which continues into the palate, which is complex and delicious,’ said team leader Martin Lam. ‘There was balance and finesse here, with good structure and some appealing fruit, not to mention some attractive honeysuckle notes,’ said Frances Bentley of Individual Restaurants.

£26.63 Liberty Wines

Morgassi Superiore, Tuffo, Gavi di Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘A welcoming wine, and good value,’ began Tony Denis of Mosimann’s, who found a ‘fruity nose of lemon, watermelon and orange notes, elegant flavours with freshness, ripe stone fruit character, a slight touch of sweetness, lively and delicate style’. ‘One for the cognoscenti,’ suggested team leader Angela Reddin.

£10.27 Bibendum

Morgassi Superiore, Volo, Gavi di Gavi Riserva 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Apple blossom and spring flowers on the nose with notes of quince, some minerals and a lot of herbal freshness,’ said Bleeding Heart Group’s Christopher Delalonde MS, who enjoyed its ‘clean palate, vibrant with delicate fruit delivery, elegant and mouth-filling, with a long, primary fruit finish’.

£12.77 Bibendum

Michele Chiarlo, Le Madri, Roero Arneis 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

La Scolca, Black Label, Gigi, Gavi dei Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£23.84 Eurowines

Pratello, Catulliano, Lugana 2016, Lombardy , Italy

Commended medal winner

La Battistina, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£7.49 Boutinot

Olim Bauda, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.80 Alliance Wine

Vinchio-Vaglio Serra, Il Griso, Roero Arneis 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner