From an ancient construction technique, ecological and sustainable, a dialogue between past and present and a distinctive sign in the Gavi landscape.

A dialogue between past and present and a distinctive sign in the Gavi landscape

The landscape of La Raia is not only determined by the spontaneous and cultivated nature, but also by its buildings: the manor house, the farmhouses inhabited by the peasants, the ancient Borgo Merlassino, the Locanda, once a post station, and of course the wine cellar, mainly built in rammed earth. The rammed earth building technique, the so-called pisé, is ancient and typical of the Novese, the area of lower Piedmont where La Raia is located. Earth has increasingly been used as a green building material for its ecological characteristics. The first is its good breathability, which makes it possible to build walls free of condensation, combined with its ability to regulate the air humidity, if it is too dry or too humid, and the total absence of indoor pollutants, which make it suitable for creating healthy environments. For all these reasons, we chose it to build a wall in our cellar in 2003, entrusting the project to Austrian architect and builder Martin Rauch, one of the international experts in this technique. La Raia's pisé wall is 30 metres long and five metres high, the most impressive work in pisé built in Italy. Years after the renovation of the cellar, during the philological restoration of Borgo Merlassino, a farming village on the northern border of La Raia, large parts of the central building made of pisé emerged, which we have preserved. And we decided that our cru would also be called Gavi Pisé!

Tenuta Cucco

Tenuta Cucco is at Serralunga d’Alba, in Piedmont, at the foot of the famous 1300’s castle that dominates the whole Langhe area near Alba. The farm’s name indicates the summit, “cucco” in the local dialect, of the hill where the oldest vineyard, Vigna Cucco, is located.

Serralunga is considered the most important Barolo area for the peculiar traits of its ancient wines and plants and its excellent microclimate due to the vineyards’ height. Especially Vigna Cucco, where the Barolo Riserva comes from, is the most important vine in Serralunga, mentioned in the Carta del Barolo by Renato Ratti. It belongs to the sub-area Cerrati, a cru put on the market exclusively by Tenuta Cucco. Its peculiar trait is the vines’ height at around 400 mt above sea level, where lime and tuff, typical here, are highly concentrated on the soil’s surface, which enriches grapes with tannins and polyphenols.

The limestone-clayey soil lies on Diano sandstones that date back to over 10 million years ago. Not very deep, with emerging marls due to the erosion of the best exposed faces, it gives strong, complex and long-lived wines: the Nebbiolo produced in this area is considered the best Nebbiolo for ageing. The other vineyards are placed in the sub-area Bricco Vughera. In the 12,5 hectares of the farm all of the most renowned Piedmont red wines are produced: Barolo, Dolcetto d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barbera d’Alba and of course Langhe Chardonnay.

Here too, as it was at La Raia, the Rossi Cairo family introduced the organic farming, in the knowledge that this method will add even more value to this territory, already famous all over the world.