Gaja Alteni di Brassica 2022

Alteni di Brassica is the Sauvignon Blanc made by Gaja in the Serralunga area of the Langhe, in Piedmont in northern Italy. The Langhe hills give calcareous marl soils and cool nights at altitude, and that combination lets Sauvignon Blanc ripen to a fuller stone fruit character while keeping the sharp acidity and aromatic lift the grape is known for. The wine is aged for around six months in French oak barriques of 225 litres. Older and larger-format influence keeps the wood restrained, so the oak adds texture and a slow oxygen exchange rather than heavy toast, and the lees contact during ageing rounds the palate and adds a savoury depth. The result is a richer, more textured Sauvignon than the crisp northern European style, without losing its varietal freshness. The colour is pale to medium gold. The nose shows white peach and white flowers with a green, sage-like note and a citrus edge. The palate is dry and rounded, with ripe fruit, green apple acidity and a long, faintly saline finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.