Pio Cesare Cortese di Gavi 2024
(Piedmont, Italy) - [WE 91]

About the Winery: 
The Pio Cesare winery was founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio, one of the very first wine producers to believe in the great potential and quality of Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and other great wines of Piemonte. For five generations, the Pio Cesare family has been producing traditional Piemontese wines in its ancient cellars, and consistently receiving high scores from all reviewers. Today it is run by the genial Pio Boffa, great-grandson of Pio Cesare, his nephew Cesare Benvenuto, and, since 2016, Boffa’s daughter Federica, who represents the fifth generation.

Overview:
The Pio Cesare family’s unique winemaking method stresses minimal intervention to produce wines of particularly supple flavor expression. A ceaseless devotion to the individuality of each of the region’s wines informs Pio Cesare's choices in the cellar: shorter maceration, separate lot fermentation, judicious selection for barrel and large cask aging, and bottling schedules determined by the ideal structure of each wine. This allows Pio Cesare to craft wines of varying weight, ageability and drinkability as determined by the vineyard rather than market fashion.

Year after year, the wines of Pio Cesare are recognized for their consistency and regional expression. From world-class Barolo and Barbaresco to crisp Cortese and sweet Moscato, the wines of Pio Cesare offer exceptional quality and variety.

Winemaking:
The grapes for the Cortese di Gavi are sourced exclusively from hillside vineyards in very selected locations of the Gavi area, belonging to families who have been producing their grapes for Pio Cesare for generations and who have worked their vineyards according to the family's strict quality controls. Slow fermentation takes place at low temperature in stainless steel tanks on the lees for four months. The wine is kept in stainless-steel tanks at low temperatures until March after the harvest when it is bottled.

Varietals: 100% Cortese

Wine Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging: In stainless steel tanks with extensive lees contact

Tasting Notes:
There are flavors of ripe fruit along with freshness and a clean spicy fragrance. The wine has good complex flavor and is smooth, silky, rich and slightly aromatic. It is meant to be consumed young but it can age in the bottle for up to three years.

Ratings & Reviews:

91 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Elegant aromas of crushed stones and lemon peel rise with delicate precision from the glass. The energetic palate snaps with tart citrus and stony mineral notes, while zippy acidity propels everything forward to a refreshingly saline finish." - Jeff Porter (Sep 2025)

Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2024 Gavi is a pale silver/straw color and is lifted and fresh on the nose with both floral and savory aromas. Vinified and aged only in stainless steel without oak, it opens to notes of pithy lemon, fresh flowers, green melon, and fresh tarragon. Medium-bodied and snappy on the palate, it has a crisp, refreshing feel and is a versatile wine for the table that will be very well-suited to snappy green salads. Enjoy it over the next several years." - Audrey Frick (May 2025)