Stefano Massone Masera Gavi DOCG 2022

Once again Stefano Massone has turned in a first rate performance in the 2022 Massone Masera Gavi DOCG. The 2022 Masera Gavi is bright, fresh, and exceptionally pure. Moreover, the 2022 Masera Gavi sports the Cortese varietal’s pale straw sunny color and a delicate perfume, which is imbued with the haunting scents of white grapes, crisp mountain apples, pears, and a tantalizing minerality. What more can one ask for in a wine? How about a pure, racy mid-palate and supreme balance? In the hands of Stefano Massone, the 2022 Masera Gavi truly shines. By eschewing the use of oak barrel ageing in favor of highlighting Gavi’s natural attributes, the 2022 Masera Gavi delights with its delicate perfume and subtlety of flavor. And of course there is Masera Gavi’s calling card – a crisp and refreshing finish, so reminiscent of the mineral-rich waters of a cold mountain stream. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest giving this delightful wine a moderate chill (about 38°-40º F) before allowing it to slowly evolve in the glass. This will afford the lithe 2022 Massone Masera Gavi time to open and reveal all of its nuanced charm. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2026. Salute!

We have always been impressed by the supreme elegance and purity of Stefano Massone’s Masera Gavi DOCG, and the 2022 Masera Gavi is no exception. Consequently, a clean glass and an ample supply of this Gavi may be all that are required for the ultimate enjoyment of this wine. Although often served in the Piedmont as an aperitif and the prelude to a sumptuous meal, where it performs beautifully, it also provides the ideal companion to seafood, poultry, and more. Well-prepared seafood and a bottle of Massone’s 2022 Masera Gavi constitute a recipe for a truly fine dining experience. Sautéed Sea Scallops, prepared in a cream sauce with unsalted pistachio nuts and Mediterranean herbs, is one of our all time favorite dishes with Massone’s Masera Gavi. Pan Seared Red Snapper, Stuffed Flounder, and Sautéed Grouper also provide delicious accompaniments. A simple Pasta Primavera and delicately prepared Chicken Francese offer two more outstanding accompaniments. In addition, most cream based sauces and soft cow’s milk cheeses pair nicely with this Gavi; the Cortese grape possesses a real affinity for accompanying dairy as well as the fruits of the sea. Enjoy!

Stefano Massone has crafted a model estate in Gavi, and year in and year out Massone’s Gavis rank among the most enjoyable white wines in all Piemonte. Massone works 15 estate vineyards in DOCG Gavi from which he fashions exceptional wines, most notably Masera (this month’s feature) and San Cristoforo. Located in Capriata d’Orba in the southeastern section of the Gavi DOCG, Massone’s vineyards enjoy prime southern exposures.

Stefano Massone is a rarity in Piedmont: he produces only white wine and from a single grape varietal. At his estate the lithe, elegant Cortese varietal rules, and there are no compromises or corners cut. Quality is paramount. Consequently, the estate’s Masera and Cristoforo vineyards are farmed organically. There are no herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, or systemic chemicals used in the vineyards. The rows of vines are sown with ground cover, which is either tilled or mown to turn to humus in alternating fashion. Furthermore, yields are kept very low to assure ripeness and sulfite usage is at a minimum. All of this care allows Massone himself to ferment the delicate golden clusters of Cortese di Gavi to perfection in his modern winery.

In the north of Italy, nestled just beneath the great Alpine wall as it tumbles out of Switzerland and the gleaming Mediterranean Sea, lies Piemonte, Italy’s Piedmont. It is a region of myriad beauty. It is also the region of Italy closest to France in proximity as well as in the sheer quality and variety of exceptional wines it produces. For centuries, Italy’s Piedmont remained a prize to be won among warring European powers, no doubt at least in part on account of the province’s world famous cuisine that still draws happily on the abundance and quality of local truffles. Yet, today, it is the superbly made wines of Italy’s Piedmont that garner the most international recognition: complex, hedonistic red wines, still delicate whites such as Gavi, and sweet haunting Muscats. With such exquisite fare, should anyone question why the wines of the Piedmont and the hearty robust delights of the Piedmontese table remain the region’s most famous ambassadors to a hungry and thirsty world?

Gavi has been likened to white Burgundy, but the comparison does neither wine justice. At their best, Gavi and white Burgundy possess clean ripe fruit, a distinctive minerality, and ideal balance, but Gavi will always remain a more delicate wine than white Burgundy. The Cortese varietal, from which authentic Gavi is born, coupled with the soil, climate, and ultimate terroir of the Gavi zone, render a decidedly different wine from white Burgundy. Gavi will almost always be the lighter, drier, more ethereal wine, but none the less for the difference. True Gavi provides perfect balance, delicious fruit, and vibrant acidity, which makes it ideal as an aperitif or the companion to seafood and light fare.