Winemaker Notes
Crafted from 100% Viognier, GiovinRe was born from a sudden intuition (it was while tasting the grapes in harvest and finding its aromatic richness extraordinary that decided to vinify this Viognier in purity), the Giovin Re confirms its value year after year. The grapes are harvested in two stages: a first more acidic harvest and the second when fully ripe. Pressing is whole cluster. The must is then decanted 3 days at 5 degrees and racked. After inoculation of the yeasts at the first signs of fermentation, the wine is racked into barriques, cement and amphorae. Here it undergoes alcoholic fermentation and remains until January without malolactic fermentation. Frequency and duration of batonnage are assessed through frequent tastings.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Giacomo Satta continues the great work of his father Michele, who first started to vinify pure Viognier in Bolgheri 24 years ago. The wine opens with a captivating aroma of white peach and light notes of quince and honey, leading to a structured and creamy palate with sapid, mineral length. Ideal with spicy seafood dishes. After a soft pressing, it ferments in wooden barrels and ages for 18 months in 750-litre amphorae. All grapes are handpicked in the Vignanova vineyard.
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James Suckling
Attractive aromas of ripe pears and white peaches with dried sage, walnuts and crushed stone undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, fresh and juicy with clean acidity cutting through. Crisp. Notes of citrus blossom and lemon pith with a mineral finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Michele Satta is one of Italy's biggest ambassadors for the Viognier grape that he pretty much single-handedly brought to this part of the Tuscan Coast. His 2022 Giovin Re is immediately generous and rich with honey, baked apple, a note of spicy saffron and an elegant mineral note at the back. The acidity is very nice with tart lemon and white currant that dovetails into the wine's very silky finish. The wine is aged in a combination of barrique, amphorae and cement. This vintage is especially delicious.
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Vinous
The 2022 GiovinRe (Viognier) is terrific. Hints of apricot, mint, tangerine peel and chamomile are all nicely layered. This is an especially fresh, aromatic style, but it works so well, especially in this very warm, dry year. The 2022 was aged in combination of French oak, cement and amphora.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
How often have you reached for a Viognier? Not often enough, if wines like the 2022 Michele Satta Giovin Re Viognier are around. This wine shows aromas and flavors of tart citrus, fragrant spices, slightly rustic earth, and wild herbs. Try this with a delicate Chinese Chicken Salad and see how well Viogniers pair. (Tasted: April 22, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
In 1982 Michele started his own winery, one of the first in Bolgheri, withnewly acquired vines from his previous employer. In this famous region ofTuscany, Michele rapidly earned respect and became known quickly as a vigneron. Michele even worked as a consultant for other properties in the early 1990s, including Ornellaia at which time Michele planted many of their vineyards. Michele has always been the local expert on the great terroir of Bolgheri and this is why his wines have been so well regarded in Italy.
Michele is a father of six (an example of his traditional roots), a farmer and a winemaker. He is an uncomplicated, sincere and humble man with very clear priorities; family and vines. While he is a traditionalist, he is also a non-conformist. This deferential character, when combined with a deep dedication to perfection, balance in the vineyards and great attention to detail in the cellar, produces Bolgheri wines that communicate the amazing uniqueness of this man and his terroir. Walking with giants is no easy feat, unless you are Michele Satta.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.