Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Giuseppe Manfredi is no newcomer to Barolo. In 1930, he purchased vineyards and a farmhouse in the exquisite Langhe Valley, in Piedmont, Italy. Because of Giuseppe’s foresight, his grandson Aldo Manfredi can carry on the family tradition. Aldo, his wife Gianfranca and their daughters, Luisa and Paola operate the winery. They have brought the estate right up to date with the most modern technology and production techniques. The Manfredi family and their close-knit team pay deep attention to quality. As a result, they perpetuate the inspiring story of a 90+ year-old family tradition. Their winery sits in the beautiful rolling hills of the Langhe valley. The Manfredi family produces and sources high-quality Barbera d’Alba, Barolo and Gavi di Gavi. The family also has 20 hectares of prime Dolectto vineyards at its Bricco Rosso estate in Dogliani.
Among Piedmont’s most historical and respected white wine producing zones, Gavi—also known as Gavi di Gavi and Cortese di Gavi—comes from Piedmont's southeast, in the province of Alessandria. Gavi is the main town of the area; Cortese is the grape. Cortese for Gavi is grown in any of 11 communes in the area where the soils are abundant in chalky, white, limestone-rich clay. The best Gavi from these locations are delicately floral, with stone fruit and citrus characters and a crisp, mineral-laden finish.
While typically made in a fresh and unoaked style, by law Gavi can come in many forms: frizzante, spumante, metodo classico and méthode ancestrale. But most producers maintain a conventional winemaking practice of temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and make fresh, still whites. However, there are several barrique-aged examples, which can be interesting. The biodynamic wines of Gavi, fermented with ambient yeasts can be the most expressive.
First recorded in the early 17th century in the province of Alessandria in SE Piedmont, Cortese today is most highly regarded from Gavi where soils are limestone-rich. It also grows well in the surrounding zones, namely Monferrato and Colli Tortonesi. Somm Secret—Because of its freshness and chalky minerality, this white wine commonly populates the fish restaurants’ wine lists of the Ligurian coast so practically owes more allegiance to this neighboring region than its home.