From: Rovereto di Gavi, Gavi DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
Varietal: Cortese
About this wine: In 2009, Monchiero Carbone expanded their production of Piedmontese white grapes. They started collaborating with Francesco’s classmate from enology school, who owns a family winery and vineyards in the heart of the Gavi DOCG, in the historic Rovereto area. Having gained DOCG status in 1998, Gavi is a hilly influenced by Ligurian Sea breezes and cooling Apennine Mountain winds that’s perfect for growing a white grape called Cortese and has thus become known as the white wine jewel of southern Piedmont.
The 2022 Monchiero Carbone Gave del Comune di Gavi comes from a six-hectare, east-facing vineyard 240 meters above sea level. A two to three-week, temperature-controlled fermentation occurs on-site in stainless steel tanks. The wine rests in the tanks for four months when it sees bâtonnage (lees-stirring) every 15 days. The refinement takes place in Monchiero Carbone’s cellar in Canale.
Taste: Floral aromas of white flower and lily integrate with notes of crisp apple and pear, lemon, and hints of almond. This wine is dry and soft on the palate, whose flavors are reminiscent of those on the nose with the addition of apricot, grapefruit, lemon zest, freshly cut grass, and salty minerality. Each fresh and balanced sip is marked by pleasant acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Pairing: Gavi generally pairs incredibly with an array of fresh fare, including shellfish, scallops, sushi, grilled white fish with lemon and basil, fried seafood, risotto with fresh spring vegetables, and chicken in white wine sauce. This wine would taste great with a spinach/goat cheese salad with a citrus-based dressing, focaccia, and seafood pasta.
Shrimp Piccata Spaghetti
by Kay Chun
About: The Monchiero Carbone farm and winery is located in the center of Canale, in the heart of the Roero DOCG in Langhe. Operating out of a nineteenth-century farmhouse with a historical cellar in its basement, the company owes its name to the union of two families through the marriage between Marco Monchiero and Lucia Carbone and the consequent merging of the vineyards inherited from both. It was established in 1990 to reunite vineyards owned by two branches of the family with a winemaking tradition dating back to 1918.
Today, it is owned and operated by husband and wife Francesco and Lucrezia Monchiero. (Francesco is Marco and Lucia’s son.) On the label, as a constant reminder of their family's history in the area and the traditions they seek to uphold, the Monchieros have added the phrase (from local dialect) "Ogni uss a l'ha so tanbuss" – "Every door has its knocker."
“At the beginning of my adventure, the figure of my father was crucial… I mean all the work of setting up the company, the comparison among different production methods, the choices of cellar techniques, but I also remember the numerous clashes… In the end I was able to follow my own path and I thank him for letting me to do so independently.”—Francesco Monchiero
But it was only with the 1995 vintage, as soon as he finished his studies at the Scuola Enologica di Alba, that Francesco rolled up his sleeves and started production, with the determination and passion that distinguish him and with the absolute conviction of the great potential of Roero, which in the 1990s had not yet expressed its strong territorial identity.
In 1994, the Roero Arneis, the native Roero white, came into the range thanks to Francesco’s strong passion. However, he was aware of the long road of research and experimentation that he would have had to undertake to bring out an autochthonous grape variety that was still relatively unknown. His intense love for this unique terroir led him to become the first president of the newborn Consorzio di Tutela del Roero in 2013.
Over the years, the company has expanded, thanks to the enlargement of the winemaking cellar in 2004 and the acquisition of new vineyards. These plots have been identified with extreme care, as the land is the first architect of the quality of the wine.
The estate has thus grown, reaching the current 35 hectares. Among the most essential acquisitions are the Printi vineyard, the Renesio vineyard, on the hill that gave birth to the Arneis grape, and the Genestreto cru, in the municipality of Priocca, a single body of 12 hectares of vineyards, with clayey and magnesium-rich soils suited for viticulture.
Francesco is supported by the family's women: his mother, Lucia, has always handled the company’s accounts with diligence and precision, while his wife, Lucrezia, takes care of business relations and the reception in the cellar. The right-hand man is Danilo Gallino, who has managed the vineyards since 2003.
Monchiero Carbone wines are produced with certified grapes from sustainable production, following rules of production aiming to reduce the synthetic chemicals used in production as much as possible. The winery’s energy comes from a photovoltaic system installed in 2020 to reduce C02 emissions. They also use corks from a controlled and sustainable industry.