Villa Rosa Gavi Di Gavi 2016
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Villa Rosa has some of the richest heritage in Castellina in Chianti and its vineyards resonate the essence of Chianti Classico. The Cecchi Family purchased the property from the Lucherini Bandini Family who had carefully tended the land for almost 70 years. The families shared a great friend who linked them together: the renowned and formidable wine taster, Giulio Gambelli. For Giulio, Villa Rosa was the best vineyards in Castellina in Chianti Classico for growing Sangiovese. As Giulio used to say: "A Villa Rosa il Sangiovese ci nasce bene!" – (At Villa Rosa, the Sangiovese grows well!).
Immediately after purchasing the property in 2015, they conducted a meticulous soil analysis to understand the potential for Sangiovese in each vineyard. The estate includes 30 hectares of vineyards, all included in the Chianti Classico appellation. The focus was and still is to produce the best expression of Sangiovese from the Chianti Classico denomination in the higher elevations of Castellina in Chianti. The 2015 harvest was used for the debut vintage of Gran Selezione Villa Rosa, which burst onto the scene from a year of exceptional growing conditions: cold winters, mild and humid springs, summers with good temperature ranges, and some rainfall.
The property is managed with the sole objective of producing a Gran Selezione wine, which is the most prestigious designation in Chianti Classico and is meant to be a pure expression of Sangiovese.
First recorded in the early 17th century in the province of Alessandria in SE Piedmont, Cortese today is most highly regarded from Gavi where soils are limestone-rich. It also grows well in the surrounding zones, namely Monferrato and Colli Tortonesi. Somm Secret—Because of its freshness and chalky minerality, this white wine commonly populates the fish restaurants’ wine lists of the Ligurian coast so practically owes more allegiance to this neighboring region than its home.
Among Piedmont’s most historical and respected white wine producing zones, Gavi—also known as Gavi di Gavi and Cortese di Gavi—comes from Piedmont's southeast, in the province of Alessandria. Gavi is the main town of the area; Cortese is the grape. Cortese for Gavi is grown in any of 11 communes in the area where the soils are abundant in chalky, white, limestone-rich clay. The best Gavi from these locations are delicately floral, with stone fruit and citrus characters and a crisp, mineral-laden finish.
While typically made in a fresh and unoaked style, by law Gavi can come in many forms: frizzante, spumante, metodo classico and méthode ancestrale. But most producers maintain a conventional winemaking practice of temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and make fresh, still whites. However, there are several barrique-aged examples, which can be interesting. The biodynamic wines of Gavi, fermented with ambient yeasts can be the most expressive.