After a full day of Nebbiolo and other reds, Thursday was a switch to white wines in the form of Gavi. We headed east from Alba to the historic La Giustiniana estate, situated in the commune of Rovereto, just a few kilometres from the town of Gavi itself.
The estate oozes history with evidence of building going back to the 13th Century. There is a now villa, chapel, numerous outbuildings and wonderful gardens and water features.
Chiara hosted our visit with a comprehensive overview of the history of the estate and how in 2016, La Giustiniana became part of a consortium of three wineries with a combined total of almost 10% of all Gavi vineyards.
We then took a lovely walk into their Montessora vineyard which is characterised by a distinctive red soil that contributes exceptional minerality to the win. It was great to go deep into the estate and get the sense of terroir.
On arrival back at the villa, it was time to relax with a glass of their Metodo Classico Gavi 2014 – an exceptional fizz with nine years on the lees before disgorgement. This was definitely a first sparkling Gavi for most people.
Lunch then ensued and Guido the chef had put on another super spread. A delicious array of salami and cold meats was followed by a delicious mushroom creation, meat stuffed ravioli and a selection of pastries.
A great day and an opportunity to witness at first hand the diversity of Piemonte.
Our final evening back in Alba saw a number of us enjoying looking out across the city (not least at the Ferrero factory) and enjoying some Piemonte wines on the roof terrace of the I Castelli hotel.