The 3 Most Expensive Gavi Wine 2025
Is a renowned Italian white wine from Piedmont, prized for its crisp elegance and vibrant character. While most Gavi wines are enjoyed young and affordably, a select few Gavi wines labels command premium prices due to exceptional quality, rarity, and aging potential. In this post, we highlight the 3 most expensive Gavi wines in 2025 and explore what makes these bottles the pinnacle of luxury for Gavi. Each of these Italian white wines showcases the Cortese grape at its finest – proving that Gavi can reach extraordinary heights in complexity and flavor.
What is Gavi Wine?
Gavi wine (officially Cortese di Gavi DOCG) is a dry white wine produced in a restricted area of Alessandria in Piedmont, Italy. It is made exclusively from the Cortese grape variety, which yields wines known for their fresh acidity, delicate floral and citrus notes, and subtle mineral undertones. Often referred to as Gavi di Gavi when sourced from vineyards around the town of Gavi, this wine became Piedmont’s first white DOCG in 1998. Classic Gavi is light-bodied, refreshing, and meant to be enjoyed young for its vibrant fruit and crisp finish. However, some producers experiment with oak aging and extended lees contact, crafting high-end Gavi wines with greater depth and longevity. These top-tier examples demonstrate that Gavi’s elegant, terroir-driven style can also evolve into something more complex and age-worthy.
The Most Expensive Gavi Wines in 2025
In 2025, three Gavi labels stand out as the most expensive Gavi wines on the market. These wines fetch the highest prices thanks to exceptional winemaking, limited production, and critical acclaim. Below, we delve into each of these exclusive bottlings and why they’re so prized. (Note: Average prices are based on market data for a standard 750ml bottle.)
1. La Scolca Soldati D’Antan
Average Price: ~$82 (750ml) – the priciest Gavi wine as of 2025.
La Scolca’s “D’Antan” Gavi dei Gavi is often regarded as the ultimate collector’s Gavi wine. Produced by the renowned La Scolca estate (an icon of Gavi), this wine is an ultra-premium expression of Cortese. What sets D’Antan apart is its extended aging and craftsmanship. In fact, La Scolca ages some of their D’Antan wines for around 10 years before release, far longer than typical whites. This prolonged maturation (often on the lees) yields an extraordinarily complex profile: notes of white flower blossoms, ripe orchard fruit, and subtle spice, all wrapped in a pronounced minerality. The palate is soft yet deeply concentrated, with layered flavors that unfold slowly and a remarkably persistent finish. Such an exclusive, time-intensive production means only limited quantities are made, driving up its rarity and price. La Scolca D’Antan exemplifies the heights an Italian Cortese di Gavi can reach – a true luxury white wine meant for savoring on special occasions.
2. Broglia “Vecchia Annata”
Average Price: ~$70 (750ml).
Broglia’s Vecchia Annata (meaning “old vintage”) is another expensive Gavi wine distinguished by extensive aging and heritage vineyards. Sourced from the estate’s Tenuta La Meirana in the Gavi comune, the Cortese grapes come from vines planted in the early 1950s. Only the best vintages are set aside for this special label. Remarkably, the wine is aged sur lie in stainless steel for 108 months (9 years) before bottling – an almost unheard-of duration for Gavi. This patience results in a wine of great structure and depth: flinty mineral aromas with hints of toasted almond and dried fruit develop during the long lees contact. The color turns a deep straw-yellow, indicating evolution. On the palate, Vecchia Annata is dry, exceptionally smooth, and well-balanced, mirroring those nutty and mineral notes alongside mellow fruit tones. It finishes long and persistent, a testament to its concentration. Because Broglia releases Vecchia Annata only after many years of cellar aging, the current offering (e.g. a 2010 harvest released nearly a decade later) is a ready-to-drink library vintage – extremely limited in quantity. Connoisseurs pay a premium for this unique opportunity to taste an aged Gavi at its peak, making it one of 2025’s costliest Gavi wines.
3. Villa Sparina “Monterotondo”
Average Price: ~$48 (750ml).
Villa Sparina’s Monterotondo cru showcases the luxurious side of Gavi wine through single-vineyard excellence. Though lower in price than the two above, it is still among the top-tier (and most expensive) Gavi labels on the market. Monterotondo is produced from a historic hillside vineyard in the Gavi DOCG that yields grapes of exceptional richness. Unlike the extended cellaring of D’Antan or Vecchia Annata, Villa Sparina focuses on vineyard selection and refined winemaking to achieve greatness. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and then refined in oak barrels for at least 24 months in the estate’s 18th-century cellars. This careful oak aging adds body and complexity beyond a typical Gavi. Tasting notes describe Monterotondo as broad and intense, with layered fruity notes (ripe lemon, golden apple, peach) intermingling with marine salinity and herbal nuances. The texture is lovely and rich, yet the wine remains vibrant and balanced, finishing with a burst of citrus and mineral character. In essence, it’s a single-vineyard Cortese that captures a unique terroir expression. Production is limited, and the wine often earns high scores, further bolstering its prestige. For wine lovers seeking a creamy, full-bodied Italian white with pedigree, Villa Sparina Monterotondo is a splurge-worthy choice and a shining example of Gavi’s elite category.
Conclusion
While Gavi wines are commonly known as refreshing, everyday Italian whites, these three examples prove that Gavi can also deliver high-end, age-worthy wines with serious complexity. The most expensive Gavi wines of 2025 owe their price tags to rare factors like old-vine grapes, prolonged aging regimes, and meticulous winemaking that brings out extraordinary qualities in the Cortese grape. From La Scolca’s decade-aged masterpiece to Broglia’s cellar-aged rarity and Villa Sparina’s single-vineyard gem, each bottle offers a very different experience from your standard young Gavi. They highlight the potential of the Gavi DOCG to produce collectible, investment-worthy wines – not just simple quaffers. For enthusiasts and collectors, trying one of these premium Gavi wines is a chance to taste history, terroir, and innovation in the glass. And even if they lie at the pinnacle of Gavi’s price spectrum, their existence elevates the reputation of Gavi as a whole. Gavi wine may be rooted in crisp, light-hearted drinking, but in the hands of dedicated producers it can truly rise to luxurious heights.
At Garrafeira da Ilha, we celebrate wines of all levels – from great values to prestigious finds. While we curate a broad selection of whites and other wines, including Italian varieties, the wines above represent the summit of Gavi. Feel free to explore our [white wine collection] for more Italian white wine options and discover the diversity of offerings beyond these exclusive bottlings.
