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Search For La Scolca
Various trips to Northern Italy have found the Editor being offered Gavi
to taste, with comments that it is the best dry white wine in the country. Yet none of the wines have proved exciting, until the recent arrival of samples sent by the enthusiastic Dr Giorgio Soldati, who
operates the La Scolca estate.
La Scolca translates as a look-out post, but the looking has apparently come from other local growers, who have watched the modern development of this enterprising estate, which
has succeeded in becoming the inspirational leader for Gavi.
Gavi is a dry white wine from Piedmont in Northwest Italy, which really needed a local flag-waver to raise its producers to higher standards.
It is made from the Cortese varietal and for generations many local growers simply sold their grapes to giant houses such as Martini & Rossi and Cinzano, for use in blended sparkling wines.
The Gavi
appellation, which is situated in the Lemme Valley, is rich in clay, lime and iron and many of the vineyards are planted on fairly steep slopes to a maximum altitude of roughly 450 metres (1,450 feet).
La Scolca has an estate of 50 hectares (125 acres) and produces around 300,000 bottles a year using the most advanced modern technology.
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La Scolca offers an attractive range with examples like Tenuta Valentino La Scolca
Gavi DOCG. The word 'Tenuta' indicates a single estate and 'Valentino' is a small farm belonging to the property. It is reminiscent of a classic dry white Graves, but with some restrained citrus notes.
The big surprise is the Millesimato or Vintage Brut sparkling wine; the 1987 is the vintage currently available and it is a delicious, honeyed, yeasty and biscuity bubbly,
which comes in a traditional and most eye-catching dumpy, narrow-necked bottle. Its only UK stockist is Speck Delicatessen in London, tel: 020 7229 7005. At £25 it is a very worthwhile purchase.
One of La Scolca's most promising wines is the Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) which has good colour and a particularly attractive balance of fruit and acidity, with distinct cherry tones.
The most stunning La Scolca wine is its D'Antan Gavi, which, to my amazement, is aged in stainless steel for 9 years. After such a long period of maturation this is a dry
white which really needs to breathe for several hours before drinking. Our sample was consumed over a period of two days, and it had improved greatly by the second. It
tastes rather like a great Fino sherry - but without the fortification - and with distinctive nutty flavours. When matched with cheeses it was simply perfection with the creamy
Vignotte, from France's Champagne region. It is rather expensive at £45 but the cost of all those years of ageing has to be met, and it is a truly remarkable and unique wine.
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Last updated on July 23, 2008