His father left the farm for Diego Carrea at the turn of the century upon his passing. At the time, Diego was pursuing a different career, far from the world of wine in which he grew up. Life changes and you are left to make choices, with 7 hectares of mostly old vine Cortese vineyard in an area of Gavi that is considered by most to be the the jewel of Gavi, the choice for Diego was not hard. Working with the memory of his father, in the name of family, on the land of his ancestors- what more could one want?

Making organic wine in the beautiful hills of Piedmont, with fantastic sea and mountain air in soil rich in history, is the world now. Two wines, one grape, on a plot of land grown in an organic manner paying tribute to the soil and grapes: you can taste it in every bottle: a fragrant and fruity white wine, soft and elegant. A Gavi worth singing about.

His soils are a mixture of limestone and clay, with “terra Rossa” or iron-rich, red clay veins. Harvest is done by hand, fermentation happens with Indigenous yeasts, and he adds minimal sulfites during winemaking. His wines are very much in line with who he is- authentic, straightforward, and precise.

ABOUT THE GAVI / CORTESE DI GAVI DOCG

History: Established as a DOC in 1974; became a DOCG in 1998
Vineyard Area: 1,253 ha / 3,095 acres (2018)
Production: 90,500 hl / 1,006,000 cases (2018).
Principal White Grape Varieties: Cortese
Styles and Wine Composition:

WHITE WINE: Bianco + Riserva (Wh, WhFr): 100% Cortese
SPARKLING WINES: Spumante + Riserva MC: 100% Cortese

ITS THE LAW:

*ALCOHOL**: (Minimum alcohol level)*
10.5% for Bianco and Spumante;
11.0% for Riserva and Riserva Spumante Metodo Classico

AGING: Bianco Riserva, minimum 1 year, including 6 months in bottle (ERD = November 1, V+1); Riserva Spumante Metodo Classico, minimum 2 years, including 18 months on the lees (ERD = October 15, V+2);

Who: Diego Carrea

Where:
Francavilla Bisio, Alessandria• Piedmont, Italy

Founded:
Under Diego since 2000

Orientation: Southwest

Land:
7 hectares, 300 meters above sea level

Average age of the vines: 35 years

Soil: Mostly calcareous - clayey

Training System: Guyot

Grapes: Cortese only

Appellation: Gavi DOCG

Viticulture: Organic certified

Harvest: By hand

Annual Production:
15,000 btls (1,250 cases)

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Molinetto | Gavi

Gavi di Cortese DOCG

Cortese from the heart of Gavi grows out of dense calcareous clay soils, lending itself to a hearty mineral focus in these wines.

GRAPE: 100% Cortese
VINEYARD LOCATION in Tassarolo (AL)
EXPOSURE + ALTITUDE: South - South-West, 250 meters above sea level SOIL: calcareous - clayey and sometimes red earth
TRAINING: guyot, 4000 plants per hectare
HARVEST: manual
WINEMAKING: traditional with a soft pressing of the whole grapes. FERMENTATION + MATURATION: in steel tanks
AROMA: characteristic, delicate, fruity, floral
TASTE: typical, dry, pleasant, with a fresh and harmonious taste

Manually harvested and gently pressed in whole clusters, the delicate and quietly elegant nature of this wine speaks in hushed tones. Fermented and aged in stainless steel the true expression of the terroir shines through this wine with a harmony of soft yellow fruit and pleasant mineral freshness.

FOOD: it is ideal as an aperitif; it goes well with elegance with appetizers of fish, seafood, shellfish, chicken and rice salads, white meat escalopes, light roasts, and mixed fried foods.

technical sheet

M E D I A

DECANTER 2016 - BRONZE

Bottles produced: 12,000
Bottle: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc: 12.5%

Molinetto | "Re-Lys" Gavi

Gavi di Cortese DOCG

Grown from vines dating back to 1964, this bottling is the magnum opus of Molinetto.

The clarity and focus of Molinetto’s Cortese radiate through a soft layer of complexity added to the wine from a third of the production spending six months in French oak barrel while the rest ages in stainless steel. A period of skin maceration adds another layer to this contemplative, lovely wine. Perfect for oysters, risotto, and even truffled dishes.

WINEMAKING: crushing-destemming of whole grapes, maceration of the must on the skins, and soft pressing Fermentation in steel tanks with minimal use of sulfur. Maturation in 1/3 in French oak barrels for 6 months- 2/3 in steel tanks for 6 months.
AROMA: characteristic, delicate, fruity, floralFOOD: it goes well with oysters, seafood, shellfish and fish, first courses, risotto, truffles, and fish soup. A particular pairing is the elegant and delicate "Risotto al Gavi"