Home Winners > Winners 2018 > ITALY: North-West Whites, including Gavi

Winner Details

Italy: North-West - White, including Gavi

2018 Gold 4         Silver 4           Bronze 1            Commended 8
2017 Gold 3         Silver 3           Bronze 2            Commended 6

Normally in this section the medals are dominated by Gavi, but while the latter picked up a couple of Golds and plenty of positive feedback to boot, the north-west’s most famous white had to share the Gold List space with others from Lugana this year.

Freshness, minerality and typicity were words that came up a lot with our tasters; ‘value for money’, however, less so. These simply aren’t cheap wines any more.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘These were fresh, with good typicity. They were light and easy, with nothing that was going to set the world on fire particularly, but there was a place for all of them.’ Charles Pashby-Taylor, consultant

‘Of all the flights today, [the Gavi one] was the one where there was 100% typicity. They do the job of what you expect from Gavi, at all levels.’ James Fryer, Woodhead 17

‘These were interesting, fruit-driven wines that were well balanced. There was good value in general.’ Valentin Radosav, Gymkhana

‘I find Gavi overrated. If I compare the prices to other regions. I think I can find equivalent wines at better prices.’ Geoffray Bénat, Cépage[s] Wine Bistro

Award winners

Found 17 wines

Italy: North-west, White including Gavi

Ancilla, Ella, Lugana 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Gold medal winner

An impressive Gold medal recipient, this had a ‘full, volcanic nose with hints of incense and floral notes’, according to Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London, who found a ‘lovely palate that’s dry, with primary fruit, fresh and balanced, and elegant, too, with hints of oak and minerality on a long finish’. Meanwhile consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor picked up notes of ‘sweet grapefruit, balanced acidity and fleshy peach with a grassy finish’.

£18.42 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

La Scolca, Black Label, Gavi dei Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Mineral, elderflower, citrus and flowers on the palate,’ mused Geoffray Bénat of Cépage[s] Wine Bistro as this was added to the Gold List, while James Fryer of Woodhead 17 found it ‘very perfumed, with pear and white flowers, and almonds on the nose, with brown pear skin, wheat and subtle oyster shells on the palate, and acacia flowers on the finish with pear syrup and lychee complexity’. ‘Aromatic, juicy and tropical, with great acidity and complexity,’ concluded Cheese at Leadenhall’s Robert Mason.

£24.90 Eurowines

La Scolca, White Label, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Gold medal winner

One of a pair of Gavi Golds for La Scolca, Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska praised its ‘depth and character, showing freshness, acidity, citrus and minerality, with a medium-weight finish’, and Woodhead 17’s James Fryer enjoyed its ‘nose of white florals and pear flesh, soft and fuzzy nectarine on the palate with subtle acids and some lactic, salty mineral notes’. For Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard, ‘green and citrus fruits’ led to ‘a delicate palate, with good balance overall’.

£13.55 Eurowines

Cà dei Frati, Brolettino, Lugana 2015, Lombardy, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Restrained lemon peel with a creamy mid-palate, savoury lees and an oily texture,’ said team leader Annette Scarfe MW on encountering this Gold medallist. ‘Its delicate use of oak gives body and structure, and it’s still youthful so worth decanting to reveal its depth and complexity,’ she recommended. Fellow team leader Tom Forrest, meanwhile, described ‘wet stones and peach, orange and tropical notes, too, as well as a nutty, toasty element’.

£16.04 Liberty Wines

Ceretto, Blangé, Arneis, Langhe 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

Matteo Furlan of The Ritz London liked this wine’s ‘really zesty aromas’, describing a ‘dry and crisp style with primary fruit and a little spritz on the palate with good length’, while Andrea Carozzo of The Mount Vineyard found it to have ‘a delicate nose, with green apple and floral aromas, with pear, lemon and a hint of yoghurt on the palate’.

£17.35 Top Selection Ltd

Pelassa, San Vito, Roero Arneis 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Delicate lemon zest with a slight spritz, a textured mid-palate typically Arneis,’ began team leader Annette Scarfe MW, while for consultant Charles Pashby-Taylor it was all about ‘spring showers and fresh grass, good texture and white peach’.

£10.50 Davy's Wine Merchants

Nunzio Ghiraldi, Il Gruccione, Lugana 2016, Lombardy, Italy

Silver medal winner

Valentin Radosav of Gymkhana found ‘yellow flower and hazelnut aromas, then a rich, ripe, zesty palate of peach and melon fruit with notes of camomile, and a long, zesty finish’. Meanwhile team leader Annette Scarfe MW noted a ‘lovely creamy mid-palate with lemon and grapefruit rind, ripe stone fruit and a fresh finish’.

£11.30 Winetraders

Morgassi Superiore, Volo, Gavi del Comune di Gavi Riserva 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Nice nose of Nashi pear with a fresh fruit palate, very direct with high acidity,’ began Yauatcha City’s Linh Ziolkowska, with James Fryer of Woodhead 17 noting ‘yellow fruit, pear and hazelnut, brown pear flesh and wheat on the palate with touches of grapefruit pith and sea salt edges’.

£13.58 Bibendum

Tenimenti Ca' Bianca, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Bronze medal winner

Woodhead 17’s James Fryer enjoyed this Gavi’s ‘nuttier-style nose with hints of almond skin and wheat’, noting ‘apricot stones and oyster shells on the palate, almost Petit Chablis-esque or Muscadet in character’, while team leader Martin Lam noted ‘wet stone and pear aromas, aromatic and floral on the palate’.

£9.54 Matthew Clark

Araldica, Bricco Battistina, Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£9.00 Boutinot

Villa Sparina, Il Portino, Gavi di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Vite Colte, Masseria dei Carmelitani, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2017, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.25 VinumTerra

Broglia, La Meirana, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Broglia, Bruno Broglia, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

Nunzio Ghiraldi, Sant'Onorata 1953, Lugana 2015, Lombardy, Italy

Commended medal winner

£15.78 Winetraders

Morgassi Superiore, Tuffo, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner

£11.00 Bibendum

Michele Chiarlo, Rovereto, Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2016, Piedmont, Italy

Commended medal winner