TERROIR PROFILE
Gavi
Cortese white zone with sea breeze
Gavi: Piedmont's maritime white — Cortese with citrus, salt and Liguria at its back.
Climate, site & wine
The soils fall into three zones: red clay-alluvial deposits in the north around Novi Ligure and Tassarolo, an alternation of marl and sandstone in the centre from Serravalle Scrivia to Gavi, and white clay-marls in the south.
Gavi is 100 percent Cortese; it is dry and pale, with citrus, green apple, almond and mineral spice, medium-bodied with lively acidity. It is drunk young, but gains with bottle age in good sites.
TERROIR PROFILE · Piedmont
Gavi Cortese white zone with sea breeze
Gavi: Piedmont's maritime white — Cortese with citrus, salt and Liguria at its back.
SOILS
Marlbalanced, structured
Marl is a mix of limestone and clay — yields structured, balanced wines with acidity backbone.
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
Sandstonewarm, dry, spicy
Sandstone warms quickly and yields ripe, fragrant wines with yellow fruit and fine spice.
CLIMATE · Maritime
Transitional climate between continental Piedmont and Liguria: the Ligurian Sea is not far away, and cooling breezes temper the warm, sunny climate. Cortese ripens mid to late and keeps citrus freshness and acidity.
TOPOGRAPHY · moderate
Last hills of the Ligurian Apennines towards the Po plain, with vineyards between about 180 and 450 metres across eleven communes, including Gavi and Novi Ligure. Slopes are gentle to moderately steep.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Dresden & Pillnitz
Saxony
93% similar
- Warmth (slightly): Gavi is warmer → riper fruit, more alcohol, softer acidity (6 vs. 5).
- Dryness (slightly): Gavi is wetter → juicier, softer, more plushness (5 vs. 6).
Târnave
Transylvania
93% similar
- Warmth (slightly): Gavi is warmer → riper fruit, more alcohol, softer acidity (6 vs. 5).
- Minerality (slightly): Gavi is more mineral → salty-stony notes, more tension (6 vs. 5).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 5 →This terroir's soils in the glossary