Tasting notes: La Battistina, Gavi
La Battistina, Gavi. Aromatic, zesty nose with notes of apple, lime and white flower. The wine has juicy apple and lemon characters, and is textural with attractive minerality. The finish is crisp and incisive with zesty, mouthwatering fruit.
Food Pairing.
Delicious with appetisers and light fish courses.
Producer/Region:
The La Battistina estate consists of 26ha of mature vineyard including 5ha in Gavi del Comune di Gavi. The property was acquired by leading Piemonte producer Araldica in 2002, establishing their reputation as a Gavi specialist. With the largest vineyard holdings in the region. La Battistina (and the neighbouring 20ha estate of La Lancellotta, from which grapes are also sourced) are renowned as among the best sites in Gavi.
The estate consists of eight separate vineyard plots along one prime south-facing slope – the distinct areas producing very different wines. The vineyard has a unique combination of limestone and clay soil which allows full ripening of the local Cortese grape. This, together with vines of average age 35 years, gives complexity and weight to what is one of Italy’s most fashionable white wines.
The majority of grapes go to produce the unoaked ‘La Battistina’, while ‘Nuovo Quadro’ comes from a small, plot at the foot of the Battistina hill which lies within the Comune di Gavi sub-zone. The ‘La Battistina’ range is produced by the Araldica winemaking team, overseen by Claudio Manera and Lella Burdese’s son Carlo.
Winemaking: La Battistina Gavi
The vineyards are south facing and the soil, chalky and mineral, which allows full ripening and excellent drainage. The 35 year old vines are trained Piemonte style on low Guyot trellis, planted with 4,000 – 4,500 vines per hectare and yielding 6600 lt/ha. The whole process of winemaking is undertaken at Araldica’s winery, Azienda Agricola La Battistina, in stainless steel tanks. The hand harvested grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press and subjected to a temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel. The wine remains in contact with the lees for 4 months before being fined, filtered and bottled.
Sustainability:
Production at La Battistina has obtained the SQNPI trademark – Sistema di Qualità Nazionale di Produzione Integrata (National Quality System of Integrated Crop Management). Wines and vintages that are now fully compatible with this system have a bee symbol on the label, which guarantees that each phase of production has complied with the strict parameters of integrated crop management. In other words, it is sustainable and eco-compatible, certified by an independent third party.
