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WINES OF NORTHERN ITALY
La Marchesa
The history of the La Marchesa estate dates back to 1750 when it was the home of the Marchesi Sauli,
an ancient and powerful family of Genovese bankers. As the tale goes, the family was preparing for the
marriage of the Marchese, but their home did not match his new bride’s aspirations. As a solution, a
fantastic villa was built in the middle of the property, aptly named “La Marchesa,” in her honor. Within the
villa is a chapel dedicated to the Guardian Angels, protecting the health and souls of the local peasants,
and a limonaia (Italian for “lemon house”) during the winter. Following the end of the French Revolution
and the establishment of the Congress of Vienna, an economic and trade boom made the family one of
the most important in the zone. Today, La Marchesa has returned to its former glory on the same land it
occupied in 1750, with the chapel and the limonaia perfectly restored and the old farmhouse converted
into the Sauli Restaurant.
“White Label” Gavi DOCG
The story goes that as the family was making preparations for the marriage of a daughter, the bride-to-be
let slip that the family home was not quite as she had hoped for the wedding. The Marques immediately
decided to build a lavish villa in the middle of the property. He called this landmark “La Marchesa,” and
today, this name is borne by all the wines coming from the estate. The grapes for the La Marchesa Gavi
White Label are pressed immediately following the harvest without adding any sulphites.
“Gold Label” Gavi DOCG
La Marchesa Gold Label Gavi comes from a careful selection of estate grown Cortese grapes which are
then vinified at controlled temperatures and aged on the lees for six months to develop additional, complex
layers. A small portion of the wine is briefly aged in oak and blended with the rest of the wine to give the
wine some extra depth.