Gavi

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Soils divided into 'terre bianche' (argillaceous marne) and 'terre rosse' (brown, leached, hydromorphic frangipan soils).
• Production zone in the province of Alessandria, encompassing 11 communes of the Novese area.
• Cortese is defined as an autochthonous variety of 'millenary settlement' in the zone; the earliest document is dated 972.

• Cortese is documented in the zone as far back as 972 AD, with an explicit reference to 'vines all of Cortese' in 1659.
• Cultivation techniques have been handed down through the centuries, making Gavi DOCG the primary source of income for the 11 communes of the appellation.

• The soils of Gavi alternate between argillaceous marne ('terre bianche') and 'terre rosse' with leached brown frangipan soils, imparting vigor and complexity.
• The low yields imposed by soils poorly suited to other crops are cited as the direct cause of the 'particular vigor and complexity' of the wines.

• Argillaceous marne ('terre bianche') and 'terre rosse' frangipan soils impart vigor and complexity to Cortese, alongside low yields.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1310
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Tutela del Gavi