Principessa Perlante Gavi

 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 
 

“Should be the benchmark for other Gavis to emulate.”
- Phillip Silverstone - Main Line Times - 26 May 2005

Principessa Perlante Gavi 2004

“The wine: Light, softly fizzy, with tropical fruit flavors and a slightly sweet finish. The story: From the Cortese grape, its delicate natural effervescence puts it in Italy's frizzante category, gentler than the country's fully sparkling wines, which are called Spumante. The word Perlante comes from its tiny, pearl-like bubbles.”   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- Fred Tasker - Miami Herald - 24 November 2005

“Here's an interesting Italian alternative to Chardonnay. Using Cortese grapes, it is a simple wine with elegant tropical fruit aromas and ends on a slightly sweet note. Good texture and nice sipping wine.”
- Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr - The Capital - 11 November 2005

“Light bodied with clean, bright aromas of apple, white pear, and mineral; crisp finish. Goat cheese; whitefish; light pasta dishes in a white sauce.” Buy and serve youngest vintage available.
- Santé - November 2005

“Tissues of delicacies. A pale straw color; a foam of tiny bubbles, light and deft (second fermentation in tank, not bottle); very dry, crisp, lacy, green apple, lemon curd and lemon rind, a touch of almond and almond blossom, lots of limestone and a bracing finish. This attractive product, a tasty aperitif, offers more substance and character than many Proseccos. Charming.”
- Fredric Koeppel - Koeppel On Wine - 17 October 2005

Principessa Perlante Gavi 2003

“Anyone looking for a crisp, refreshing summer white with a slightly frizzante texture might venture in the direction of this delicious example from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. This beautifully crafted and well balanced wine is perfect as an aperitif or with Mediterranean tapas.”   88
- Robert Whitley - Whitley On Wine - 10 May 2005

“A great wine for fish and seafood, and because of its light and festive bubbles – ‘Perlante’ - a lovely aperitif, too.”
- Steven Kolpan - WAMC Radio (NY) - 9 February 2005

Principessa Perlante Gavi 2002

"Light, spritzy and lively with peach, citrus, vanilla and mineral flavors; clean finish.  Aperitif. Buy and serve youngest vintage available."
- Sante - November 2003

"Slightly sparkling, with a green lime scent, this Gavi is light in body.  The fresh acidity dominates, needing grilled calamari or prawns to round out its sharp, grassy edges." 86 
- Wine & Spirits - October 2003

". . . a 100% Cortese Gavi made in a lightly sparkling style.  Aromas of pineapple and lime lead to lively, mouthfilling flavors of creamy pineapple and lime with nice spritz.  Light, fresh and balanced, this would make an Excellent Aperitif and a wonderful alternative to Chardonnay.  Tasty."
- The Colorado Wine News - October-December 2003

"A semi-sparkling wine that has the melon/pear flavor of Gavi that’s rarely seen here, and a load of spritz, sort of like a light bubbly, perfect for festive occasions or serving with light seafood."  EXCEPTIONAL
- Dan Berger - Vintage Experience - 11 September 2003

"One of the wines chosen as the season’s best was Principessa Perlante. The estate bottled wine, made of 100 percent Cortese grapes, features a fresh, fruity bouquet and elegant structure that is balanced with a natural effervescence.  An elegant aperitif, Principessa Perlante is also an ideal accompaniment to all shellfish, and marries well with fish, veal and grilled chicken.  Its combination of delicacy and flavor make it perfectly suited to the nuances of flavorful late summer cuisine."
- Chris Gasbarro - Pawtucket Times - 3 September 2003

"This nearly clear, barely golden wine had a soft stream of bubbles.  Tasters found aromas of pineapple, apple and pear.  The wine had flavors of tart apple and pear with a hint of vanilla.  Light bodied, this wine had a quick, sharp finish."  86 
- The Wine Report - July/August 2003

Principessa Perlante Gavi 2001

"Highly Recommended"  86 
- Beverage Testing Institute Of Chicago - August 2003

"Once again we’ve chosen a wine from Castello Banfi as our wine of the month. Principessa Perlante is a Gavi wine from their sister winery, Vigne Regali, in Piedmont – the northwest region of Italy famous for its red wines, Barolo and Barbaresco. Gavi is a dry white made 100 percent from the native Cortese grape. Although that variety is extremely ancient, documentary evidence of its existence goes back only several centuries. The variety has been widely praised for its purity. Gavi is one of the best dry white wines of Italy. Principessa Perlante combines the fresh, fruity bouquet and elegant structure of Gavi with a delicate, natural effervescence. It’s an ideal accompaniment to all shellfish, which makes it the perfect choice for our Seafood Risotto this month. As well, it makes an elegant apéritif, is delicious with chicken dishes, and excellent partner for Japanese food."
-WWW.FEASTIVALS.COM 18 March 2003

"Pale straw in color, this slightly sparkling white wine has fresh aromas of citrus and apple and a good finish."
-WINE.COM 27 January 2003

"A wine style seldom seen on these shores -- a very lightly sparkling Gavi, light and clean, with a delicate mousse and a flavor of vaguely smoky fruit."
- Saveur - November 2002

"Pale straw in color, this Perlante, or effervescent, Gavi has small bubbles and an alluring fresh nose of citrus and apple. On the palate, it has a pleasant mouthfeel and delivers off-dry lemon-citrus flavors. It has a good finish with citrus notes."
- TableWine.com - July 2002

Principessa Perlante Gavi 2000

"... fresh & fruity with a delicate natural effervescence. A fine accompaniment to the nuances of Asian cuisine in general and Japanese dishes in particular."
- J. Walman's Travel, Restaurante, Entertainment & Wine Report - February 2002

"... a lovely white that has just a little fizz and is fruity, creamy, and sure to please anyone."   ***+
- AlcoholReviews.com - December 2001

"An unusual approach to a Gavi, slightly carbonated and opens with a big ebullient nose of apple and sweet honeysuckle before flavors of spice, apple, pear, banana, and lemon-lime and a medium-broad, medium-long finish. Very nice with plenty of verve."
- Harold J. Baer - Colorado Wine News - October-December 2001

"The presence at the table of a bottle of the elegant Banfi Principessa Gavia Perlante 2000 would turn a meal featuring seafood or shellfish into a celebration. A slight effervescence increases the already ample charms of this white wine's fruit flavors, and this Gavi finishes in a notably refreshing way."
- Robert Neralich - Arkansas Democrat Gazette - September 2001

"...a stellar wine bottled with just enough carbon dioxide to imitate sparkling wine. A superb wine worth trying."
- Dan Berger's Vintage Experience - September 2001

"...a pale yellow color, captures the fresh, fruity bouquet and elegant structure of Gavi with an added vivacity of a refreshing light sparkle. It makes an ideal aperitif, but also has rich flavors to pair with a wide range of dishes, especially oysters, lobster and other shellfish."
- Lynn Krielow Chamberlain - Sun Journal - August 2001

"Pale straw in color, this effervescent version of the classic Piedmontese Gavi, a dry white, is loaded with tiny bubbles and has an attractive, straightforward nose of peach. On the palate, it delivers off-dry, or semi-sweet, flavors of peach and nectarine. This is a light, refreshing sparkling wine with good acidity and should make a wonderful aperitif to serve with hors d'oeuvres."
- TableWine.com - August 2001

"A well-balanced fruity wine also with a light effervescence, not a full champagne-like fizz."
- Bill Van Ollefen - Greenwich (CT) Time - August 2001

Principessa Perlante Gavi 1999

"Bright and fresh with delicate dry flavor... magically refreshing in summer."
- American Way Magazine - Summer 2001

"...worth the price of admission. The beautiful, clear, fluted bottle yields a dry wine with peach and pink grapefruit character, and just a hint of spritz to give it a crisp, palate cleansing snap."   87
- Wine Spectator - May/June 2001

"...made from a select cru of grapes in a single vineyard and it is quite different from the regular Principessa... noses of apples and pear. Drink it in and you get apples, a twist of grapefruit, and an almost salty-toast-crème close. Superb."   ***+
- AlcoholReviews.com - April 2001

"As the name would imply, this has a tiny bead of bubbles, the sparkle lifting its green, young fruit as well as a light mineral aroma. It's lighter than most Gavi, clean and dry, a white to chill for a garlicky fish soup."   88
- Wine & Spirits - April 2001

"This 100% Cortese wine has a slight fizz and an almost imperceptibly faint touch of sweetness. Hay and herb aromas open to grapy flavors accented by smoky notes. A crisp mouthfeel and classic Gavi almond, lime and smoke notes close this pleaser." 87
- Wine Enthusiast - February 2001

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