Pio Cesare 2023 Cortese di Gavi DOCG 750ml

Gavi is Piedmont's answer to the question of what a truly serious white wine from the region can be — Cortese grown across eleven communes in the province of Alessandria, where the soils turn chalky and white with limestone-rich clay, producing a wine so specifically bright and mineral-driven that it's become a staple on the wine lists of Ligurian coastal fish restaurants, arguably owing more culinary allegiance to that neighboring seaside region than to its own landlocked home. Pio Cesare, an estate built primarily on the international reputation of its Barolo and Barbaresco, has been making Cortese di Gavi with the same generational rigor the family applies across its entire range.

The fruit comes exclusively from hillside vineyards in carefully selected locations across the Gavi area, sourced from grower families who have supplied Pio Cesare for generations and who farm according to the estate's own strict quality standards — a relationship built on decades of trust rather than a simple purchasing arrangement. Fermentation proceeds slowly at low temperature in stainless steel, with the wine resting on its lees for four months before being held in tank at low temperature until bottling, typically in March following the harvest. No oak is used at any stage, preserving Cortese's natural brightness and letting the Gavi hills' specific limestone terroir speak clearly.

Wine Enthusiast awarded 90 Points: "delightfully light and breezy, with hints of almond flower, almond, and unripe peach intermingling with crisp apple notes. Rounded and textured, it boasts a well-structured profile, underscored by mineral notes and a subtle salinity. Tangy orchard fruit flavors with a touch of citrus rind add to its refreshing character." The estate's own tasting notes describe salty, spicy character with ripe and rich fruit aromas, a nice minerality, and complex body. Fresh and clean with a hint of salinity on the nose, ripe fruit combined with rich, complex flavors on the palate — this is Gavi built with the same patient, minimal-intervention philosophy that has made Pio Cesare's reds internationally celebrated, applied here to one of Piedmont's most historic and most food-friendly white wine traditions.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Pio Cesare was founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio in Alba, Piedmont, and has been guided across five generations by the same family, most recently under the stewardship of Pio Boffa, great-grandson of the founder, whose leadership brought international acclaim to the estate's single-vineyard Barolo and Barbaresco offerings. Gavi — also known as Gavi di Gavi or Cortese di Gavi — is among Piedmont's most historically significant white wine appellations, situated in the region's southeast in the province of Alessandria. Cortese, first recorded in the early 17th century, is most highly regarded when grown in the Gavi zone specifically, where soils are notably limestone-rich, producing wines of characteristic floral delicacy, stone fruit and citrus character, and a crisp, mineral-laden finish.

Pio Cesare's Cortese di Gavi is sourced exclusively from hillside vineyards across carefully selected sites within the Gavi area, drawing on multiple distinct hillside exposures and terroir compositions personally selected by the Pio family. The grapes come from families who have grown fruit for Pio Cesare across generations, farming according to the estate's own strict quality controls. Fermentation takes place slowly at low temperature in stainless steel tanks, where the wine rests on its lees for approximately four months. It is then held in stainless steel at low temperature until bottling, which typically occurs in March following the harvest — no oak is used at any stage, consistent with the traditional, fresh, unoaked style that defines the finest expressions of Gavi.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast — 90 Points:
"Delightfully light and breezy, with hints of almond flower, almond, and unripe peach intermingling with crisp apple notes. Rounded and textured, it boasts a well-structured profile, underscored by mineral notes and a subtle salinity. Tangy orchard fruit flavors with a touch of citrus rind add to its refreshing character."

Vintage Wine Cellars — 90 Points:
"Elegantly crafted Cortese from Gavi, Piedmont, Italy; fresh, spicy aroma with a delicate saline edge, ripe fruit intertwined with richness, and great aging potential."

Pio Cesare official tasting notes:
"Salty, spicy with ripe and rich fruit aromas. A nice minerality with complex body."

Maisons Marques & Domaines (importer, house style context, adjacent vintage):
"Lifted and fresh on the nose with both floral and savory aromas. Vinified and aged only in stainless steel without oak, it opens to notes of pithy lemon, fresh flowers, green melon, and fresh tarragon. Medium-bodied and snappy on the palate, it has a crisp, refreshing feel."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Delightfully light and breezy, opening with hints of almond flower and almond, alongside unripe peach and crisp apple notes. Fresh, clean, and spicy, with a delicate hint of salinity threading through the fruit — a nose that carries genuine lift without ever feeling heavy.

Palate
Rounded and textured, with a well-structured profile underscored by mineral notes and a subtle salinity. Ripe fruit intertwines with rich, complex flavors, while tangy orchard fruit and a touch of citrus rind keep the wine genuinely refreshing.

Finish
Clean and mineral-driven, with the salinity and citrus rind carrying through to a crisp, food-ready close. Balanced and complex enough to reward real attention, while remaining an effortlessly easy, everyday sipper.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Fresh seafood and shellfish — the classic Ligurian coast pairing
• Light appetizers and antipasti
• Grilled fish
• Fresh cheeses
• Aperitif, on its own