2021 Davide Vignato Gambellara Garganega 'El Gian'

100% Garganega, farmed with both organic and biodynamic principles, although uncertified. Vines are 25 years old on average and rooted on volcanic and basalt soils.  Hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel, and aged on the lees for five months until bottling. 

Tasting Notes

Gambellara has the distinction of being the lesser-known neighbor of nearby Soave. The grape, Garganega, is the same, known for producing one of Italy’s greatest white wines. These are brighter and zingier wines than the more rounded and honeyed expression of Garganega in Soave.  Bracing, floral, and stony, this bianco offers notes of herbs, citrus, and pear that make it a perfect match for all varieties of fresh seafood.

About Davide Vignato

Davide Vignato hails from the small village of Gambellara in the Veneto, east of Verona in the province of Vicenza. The terroir, while also volcanic, is different and very distinct. Compact horizontal bands of dark basalt are just below the surface, and contribute to impressions of high tension and stoniness. The family history behind Davide’s wines began when his grandfather, Rinaldo, purchased a small plot of land in the hills of Gambellara and planted vines. Davide’s father, Gian Domenico, was the first in the family to make wine from those grapes, and as of 1997, Davide introduced organic and later biodynamic farming to the vineyards with the goal of producing deeply mineral wines that would legitimately reflect Gambellara’s unique soils. The Vignato estate is tiny, only a few hectares, all hand-worked by the Vignato family, including a large percentage of labor-intensive, traditionally-trained pergola vines. The grapes are harvested by hand, fermentation is spontaneous, and the wines are aged on fine lees. These wines represent not only authentic and compelling terroir expression, but also great values. They make a total of 1250 cases annually.