About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The Cortese grows in vineyards with volcanic soils rich in iron and limestone, on young vines. The 50 ha La Scolca estate lies on elevated ground in the Ligurian Apennines. Yields per vine are kept low, and the grapes are picked at the optimum level of ripeness.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested partly by hand and partly by machine. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at low, controlled temperatures.
Ageing
Several months in stainless steel.
Tasting profile
Elegant.
Label / history
La Scolca was founded in 1919 by Giovambattista Parodi, great-grandfather of the current owner. His son Alfredo planted the first vineyard shortly before the Second World War, originally to make simple homemade wines. Vittorio Soldati, the third generation, recognized the greater potential of the land and chose to focus on white wines, although Piedmont is traditionally known for red. The potential of Cortese emerged once it was treated seriously, with low yields and grapes picked at optimum ripeness.
The first bottle of Gavi was released in 1950, in effect the first white wine produced in Piedmont. The wine was also listed on the Orient Express dining car as "Gavi dei Gavi", and La Scolca wines were supplied to the Shah of Iran until 1978.
For the centenary in 2019 the wine was released in a "gold" bottle. Since then it has appeared every year in both the standard and the gold bottle.
