# Pleo Gavi DOCG (2025)

- **Producer:** La Raia
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cortese
- **Region:** Piemonte, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €15
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, apple, lemon, pear, blossom, cream, biscuit, almond

## About this wine

La Raia is a 200-hectare biodynamic estate located in Novi Ligure, Piedmont, purchased in 2002 by the Rossi Cairo family. Demeter-certified biodynamic and organic, the estate integrates 65 hectares of vineyards with chestnut forests, pastures for native Fassone cattle, two lakes, and beehives. The Pleo Gavi DOCG celebrates the traditional sapidity, purity, and mineral character of the Cortese grape grown on south-facing limestone-clay slopes.

## Interesting facts

- The eco-friendly winery features a 40-meter-long rammed earth wall constructed with the ancient pisé architectural technique.
- The estate is Demeter-certified biodynamic and integrates 65 hectares of vines with pastures for native Fassone cattle and beehives.
- Vineyards sit at 400 meters elevation on mineral-rich calcareous clay soil surrounding Novi Ligure.

## Food pairing

High acidity and pronounced minerality make this white wine ideal for fresh seafood, lighter fish, and spring vegetables. The subtle roundness from lees contact complements creamy young soft cheeses while cutting through rich fats.

## Wine making process

Handharvested in mid-September, the Cortese grapes undergo gentle pneumatic pressing and cold decantation. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 18°C using estate-cultivated indigenous yeasts. The wine ages on fine lees (sur lies) in stainless steel tanks for three to six months with regular bâtonnage, preserving pure fruit character without oak influence.