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WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

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Ryan M

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WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Ryan M » Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:37 pm

The answer apparently is "yes, it's possible." I thought I'd report on this as most folks might not have encountered a Gavi that somehow escaped the corkscrew this long. I would imagine coming from a quality wine maker helps.

Michele Chiarlo, Gavi 2007
Quite a nice nose of flowers, mineral, and pear/peach. Similar on the palate, with prominent citrus zest notes. Nice aromatics, and prominent but not unbalanced acidity. Reveals some respectable depth as it opens, with hazelnut and honey notes. Quite nice. Upon returning to it a few hours later, not quite as fresh, but still enjoyable and very nice with roast pork loin. 2.5 Stars. [12/16/12]
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Re: WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Hoke » Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:04 pm

Agreed.
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Oliver McCrum

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Re: WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Oliver McCrum » Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:39 am

Gavi is one of the classic Italian white wines that can age. I've had 10-year-old wines that showed perfectly.
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Re: WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Ryan M » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:01 am

Thanks Hoke and Oliver - so this is not at all unusual for Gavi?

I confess that I'm in unfamiliar territory here as this was actually the first Gavi I've had (shame on me), and my impression had been that it is regarded as a wine to drink young. It does seem to have the requisite structure to last a least a few years.
"The sun, with all those planets revolving about it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else to do"
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Re: WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Mark Lipton » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:44 am

Ryan M wrote:Thanks Hoke and Oliver - so this is not at all unusual for Gavi?

I confess that I'm in unfamiliar territory here as this was actually the first Gavi I've had (shame on me), and my impression had been that it is regarded as a wine to drink young. It does seem to have the requisite structure to last a least a few years.


Ryan,
I think that you're the victim of a commonly held perception of Italian white wines in general. Once one gets beyond the oceans of plonk issued under the banner of "Pinot Grigio" you find some ageworthy and fascinating wines. Soave is another example of a wine that is often plonk, but the wines of Pieropan are an expression of the Garganega grape that stands apart from the crowd. Likewise, to put in a plug for Oliver's wines, the La Sibilla Falanghina that Oliver brings in is so different from most other Falanghinas that it's almost unfair to use the same name. The list goes on, but I won't bore you with any more details.

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Re: WTN: Can Gavi go five years?

by Hoke » Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:56 pm

Ryan: No, it's not unusual for good Gavi.

All: One of the great things about wine is, oddly enough, Sturgeon's Law in full force.

With the great triumvirate of wine---the three aspects that to me make the difference between indiscriminate plonk and damned good wine (the vast majority of Pinot Grigio in the world, take Dr. Lipton's cue, and the sterling examples of same from Northern Italy, Alsace and other hopeful emerging places like, say, New Zealand as example): variety, place, person---we enjoy the diverse bounty of that top percent, the cream of the crop, the tete.

Take just about any grape, bring in the other two elements, with a strong, strong focus on the human element, including passion, persistence, time, determination, and all those things, and you can turn that plain old sow's ear into a lovely and attractive purse.

Pinot Grigio? Check, from abominations (take your pick) to market-driven monsters (Santa Margherita, anyone) to those Northern Italian and Alsatian delights.
Grenache? Check, from patently ridiculous to gorgeously sublime.
Ugni Blanc/Trebbiano: Check. Makes a goodly portion of some of the world's most insipid wine, sure. But it is capable of making decent wine and amazing brandy too.

And the beauty is, the rule expands or contracts to fit anything, from a single variety, to an AOC-delimited space to a many-faceted blend. What can easily be industrial wine of the most banal type can just as easily (well, not easily, but you get my drift) be some of the finest nectar that ever shall pass between our lips.

And that is way cool!

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