ON THE LIST | Elvio Sgaria
Elvio Sgaria was born in Bozen, in northern Italy’s South Tyrol. ‘It’s kind of like Verbier,’ he says, ‘in the mountains, where everything is clean and everyone is happy.’ There, he developed a passion for wine from a young age, a passion that only grew on moving to London. Frustrated at working in various bars and restaurants where the wine offer was limited, in 2022 he approached 67 and was taken on as a Junior Sommelier. ‘It was the best wine-related decision I ever made,’ he says. He was recently promoted to Sommelier, and has moved to 67 Pall Mall Verbier for the season
A regular question from Members is ‘What’s your favourite grape variety?’ Many are surprised by my response. Working at 67, you can find something exceptional in every glass that we serve. As a result, it can be challenging to choose a favourite. But if I think back to the best wines that I have ever tried, I would have to choose Merlot – a variety that, if well stored, can evolve for years and deliver pleasure at every stage.
The first Merlot that I remember was La Ricolma, from a small, biodynamic producer called San Giusto a Rentennano, based not too far from Siena, in Tuscany – a place I love. Maybe it was that personal connection, but as they say, the first lover is hard to forget! Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting some sublime Merlots. Cotarella Montiano, Château Trotanoy, Castello Di Ama’s L’Apparita, Duckhorn Vineyards and Miani, from Friuli.
But in my 67 Merlot portfolio, three stand out. Firstly, a 1988 Petrus. On the label, Saint Peter is holding the key to the gates of paradise, and on the day I got to taste this, I felt like I was there with him. A Member had ordered it off the list and offered me a taste. He then asked for a wine that would make for an interesting comparison, and my colleague Gaston proposed the 1997 Masseto, from Tenuta dell’Ornellaia. Both wines were showing well – but the Tuscan wine was impeccable, and really impressed us.
When I passed my Court of Master Sommeliers’ certification, another very generous Member shocked me by asking for his 1998 Le Pin to be brought up from his Members’ reserves to celebrate. It was early afternoon and, after a good lunch, he decided to open it and share it with some of the somms. Le Pin is a tiny, two-and-a-half hectare vineyard, a garage wine from the Thienpont family that was started as a side project to its Vieux Château Certan. What a treat. A bit shy in the glass at first, after 15 minutes it opened up angelically.
Finally, one of my favourite producers in Sonoma, Verité. Its La Muse cuvée is predominantly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc and a touch of Malbec, and it’s a real gem. The 2016 is a supreme vintage and while it was still a touch young to show its full potential, if decanted for a little while it will change the mind of anyone who is sceptical about California Merlot.
Elvio in Verbier, thinking back to that magical Le Pin…
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