Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Villa Sparina Gavi Cortese 2024
Gavi DOCG – Piemonte, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Made from 100% Cortese, the 2024 vintage feels even more uplifting and rounded compared to the already solid 2023 release. Villa Sparina continues to showcase why Gavi remains one of Northern Italy’s most dependable white wine styles, balancing freshness, elegance, and effortless drinkability. This vintage particularly shines with its harmony and polished personality.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright citrus, crisp green apple, white peach, and subtle pear notes lead the way, followed by delicate floral tones and a touch of almond on the finish. The fruit profile feels more expressive and integrated in 2024, giving the wine extra charm without losing its mineral-driven identity.

Mouthfeel
Light to medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and a beautifully rounded texture. Clean, vibrant, and very balanced from start to finish, offering both tension and softness in a way that makes the wine incredibly easy to revisit glass after glass.

Food Pairings
Excellent with seafood pasta, grilled shrimp, lemon herb chicken, oysters, risotto, or fresh cheeses. Also fantastic as a pure aperitif wine.

Verdict
The 2024 vintage feels more complete and harmonious than the previous release, showing extra polish while keeping the classic crisp personality of Gavi intact. Refreshing, elegant, and dangerously easy to enjoy.

Did You Know?
Gavi DOCG is produced exclusively from Cortese grapes in southeastern Piemonte, near the Ligurian border, which partially explains its coastal-like freshness and saline edge despite being an inland appellation.

🍷 Personal Pick
This has officially become my “wine king opener” and one of my new Northern Italy staples. The 2024 vintage simply feels more alive, rounded, and balanced, a bottle that surprises everyone and every time I have pour for friends that have never taste it. Cheers! — a month ago

Andy Stabile

9.0

Big, balanced, touch of salt — 2 months ago

David S. Lopez

9.0

This wine pours a somewhat clear ruby red. It has a nice nose. The fruit is restrained. And after it’s been open for a little bit, the tannins really come through. This is an excellent wine that I got at Costco for $48. I would definitely re-buy it. It went well, although not a perfect match with the seafood linguine I had for my birthday at Mange Bene restaurant. #barolowine #italianwines #piedmontwines #nebbioli #costcowines — 3 months ago

Alden Ridley

9.1

Pungent aroma at first, almost like a farm. But then it opens into sweeter notes like peach and stone fruits. Finishes with a strong minerality. Enjoyed with a fennel salad and couscous and it paired really well! — 4 months ago

Sergio Del Rio

9.5

At John Aisenstat Memorial Scholarship Dinner with Carisa. — 5 months ago

Carter White

9.4

Dark fruit, tobacco, smooth and deep. Great value! — 6 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium ruby , medium wide garnet rim . Quite open and exuberante , lots of sweet red cherry, raspberry and touch of menthol and sweet spices, hickory . Quite sweet profile. On the palate this has nice spice and menthol hints , sweet red cherry fruit , ripe tannins , but with good grip, quite gritty with good length . Balanced acidity , touch of alcohol noticeable . Overall quite sweetly red fruit focussed , pure and expressive. This is showing quite well , though still young and fruit focused. Probably better in 3-5 years and will continue to show well over the next 10 years or so . — 2 months ago

Kurt Schuster

8.9

Intense and deep. Leather and roasting, spices and heavy clay and chewy tans and everything in between. Drank it over three days with a variety of steak and roasted mushrooms and Italian food and it went well with everything just very broad and deep and brewing.  — 2 months ago

with Denise

Sally Neal

9.0

Delightful. Create a chicken parm with a twist and some steamed spinach. I needed to decant it and let it breathe for a while. During the aperitivo hora. — 2 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Gavi comes from small growing area in northwestern Italy located north of Genoa on steep slopes of Ligurian Apennines. White label is La Scolca’s everyday wine, an alternative to their “Black Label”. From Cortese di Gavi grape (younger vines), pale yellow color with aromas of stone and citrus fruits, extended lees aging. On the palate flavors of apple and lemon, nutty notes, nice mouthfeel. Medium finish, vivid acidity ending with a mineral character. Nice! — 4 months ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.1

Incredibly fresh and moreish. At Hope Cove House where they know their natural wine and their cooking 👏🏼 — 5 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Supremely underrated producer — 6 months ago

Tegan Marriott

9.1

A Barolo for the yearners. Myself I had high expectations for this drop. Here's a small descriptor- the flavors are commending & perfectly respectable ,alas slightly cloying. — 6 months ago

sasha

9.0

Costco. Very bright and sharp, but potentially ok on it’s own, shines with richer dishes — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

From 3L

Core of red with light brickish edges.

Nose is pretty. Dryish cherries to cherries, strawberries, blackberries flow underneath, raspberries, some fresh rhubarb, notes of cherry Jolly Rancher, red to mid berry cola, some soapy baking powder notes, tobacco, used leather, (might be the glass), soft, mid intensity baking spices, vanilla-in, soft oak shavings, moist clay, limestone, dry top soils, red flowers, red roses & candied violets.

The palate is ripe, juicy; sweet & tart cherries, strawberries, some black berries, dry pomegranate, somewhat stewed/spiced plum, blackberries with circling raspberries, nice mid spice, dry tobacco, leather, grilled meats, soft, mid intensity baking spices, vanilla-in, soft,dry, oak shavings, moist clay, limestone, volcanics, hints of white pepper, dry leaves, dry top soils, red flowers, red roses & candied violets, excellent acidy with a well made, balanced, biggish structure & tension, good length finish that lasts minutes and fall on spice & minerals.

1800 bottles made and only 6 3L’s. This is one of From 3L. — 2 months ago

Pooneet K

9.0

Down the middle gavi. If you like most gavis for their crisp expression as we do this will not disappoint. Certainly not bad for the price. — 3 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon color with aromas of stone fruits, citrus and floral notes. On the palate flavors of peach, apple and lemon citrus with lively acidity and blossom notes. Medium+ finish ending with citrus and creamy mineral character. Drink now while it’s fresh. — 4 months ago

romo

9.4

Consistent notes. Decant. A re-buy for sure. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened a couple of hours before service. The 2001 “Rabaja” pours a garnet color with a translucent core and fairly significant rim variation; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears and significant sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated, red fruit: Morello cherry, dried red flowers, truffle, old leather bound books, a mix of organic and inorganic earth and a pleasant blend of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose where there’s a bit of a Maillard reaction with the fruit showing a touch more stewed. The finish is medium+. Drink now after a couple hours in the decanter but should drink well through 2031. — 5 months ago

JKT

9.0

Another new one, unusual Cali Cortese with 12 years. Color on the yellow amber side and nose with mature notes with a touch of oxidation. Balanced on palate — 7 months ago