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

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2023 pours a bright garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of raspberries, pomegranate, rose bushes in bloom, licorice, gravelly earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This was a perfect red for duck confit outside on a warm day. Drink now through 2033. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Tons of dark cherries, strawberries, mid berry cola, crushed rocks, volcanics, limestone powder, sweet tarriness, French expresso, dry herbs, grilled meats, tobacco, leather, dark spice and red roses for days framed in liquid violets. — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, the tannins were overbearing, but after a two hour decant it opened up and softened nicely, with cherry, anise, earth, violets, and roses coming through on the nose. On the palate, the anise and floral flavors shine bright, and the finish is exquisite, with the floral notes providing a vivid, persistent finish with underlying notes of spice and earth. The wine has a smooth mouthfeel, with tannins providing astringency on the finish. Such a beautiful, elegant barbaresco that paired wonderfully with tagliatelle bolognese. — 2 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. — 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

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Made from Cortese grapes grown within the Comune di Gavi, pale lemon color with aromas of stone and citrus fruits with floral notes. On the palate flavors of pear, green apple and lemon citrus with lively acidity, honey and blossom notes. Medium savory finish ending with nutty citrus and floral mineral character. — a month ago

Joel Lara

9.6

This wine was muted initially, but after about an hour in the decanter it started to show beautifully. A sublime black cherry accompanied by bay leaf, anise, orange peel, and hints of bitter chocolate show on the nose. The flavors on the palate mirror the nose, with additional notes of figs, prunes, earthy mushrooms, and cured meat. Tannins provide a smooth mouthfeel, and finish is persistent with the dried fruits and savory elements lingering on the palate. Paired wonderfully with ribeye with hot Roquefort butter and a side of truffle polenta. At the two hour mark the tannins started to become grippy on the palate, but they were still manageable. Put remainder in bottle, and by day 2 the tannins had softened again. The flavors were still humming along. — 18 days ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.4

Tada! As Delectable seems to work again here I am 🤪. Great Ovello, nice phase of the wine. — a month ago

Dave

9.3

This app is finally working again. Very nice barbaresco with bright, youthful red fruit and polished tannins. I favor the Ovello, but this is mighty fine.
Listening to The Carter Family — 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! — 3 months ago

Raun Kupiec

9.0

Minty, tight, herbal. Limited fruit but not yet into complicated secondary flavours. Tannins not as integrated as I would have expected. Frankly, a bit disappointed. Maybe it’s just not in the right place this year. One of my favourite wine producers and this didn’t live up to expectations. Still have 5 more bottles, will try again in a year or two. UPDATE: Well, didn’t finish the bottle last night (rare occurred) and the last 2 glasses sat in the carafe overnight. Wine is much more open and floral today. Really thought an hour and a half in the decanter last night would have been enough. Obviously not. Softer and more round today, and more complex secondary flavors present. Tannins still not integrated enough, though. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

From magnum. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2012 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with punchy notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, orange rind, red flowers, and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture is almost chewy. The 2012 is still an awesome value; really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2042. — 19 days ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Obviously too young but on our last night in Italy couldn’t resist for the price to pair with a milanese veal cutlet. Glad we have a case of the 2021 riservas in storage. So classic and delicious. — 23 days ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.2

Good. Needs much more time then revisit and properly evaluate. — a month ago

Sean Burke

9.2

So smooth, b castle on Ireland with lamb and duck — a month ago

Chris Buggy

9.0

I need wine with enough body to hold up to strong Indian flavors, but light and clean..CHECK — 2 months ago

with Jennifer

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

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2024 vintage. Pretty, sunny and bright. Spring is sprung. 3.11.26. — 3 months ago

Sergio Del Rio

9.5

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