La mesma
Who: Paola, Francesca and Anna Rosina
Where: Gavi (Piemonte, Italy)
What grapes: Cortese
Key fact: Three sisters with a dedication to biodiversity and making award winning white wine.
Website: https://www.lamesma.it
Instagram: @gavi_lamesma
La Mesma “Le Rose” Gavi DOCG
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Soil type: Red clay from the Tassarolo vineyards
Elevation: 300m
Grapes: Cortese
Method of fermentation: Hand harvested gently, immediately followed by a soft pressing and a controlled-temperature vinification in steel tanks.
The 2021 “Le Rose” Gavi will be a firm recommendation for pizzerias and trattorias in our client/friend group. Everything I noted about the character of the Rosinas (honest, straightforward) is applicable here.
La Mesma “Etichetta Gialla” Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Soil type: Calcareous from the Monterotondo vineyards
Elevation: 350m
Grapes: Cortese
Method of fermentation: Hand harvested gently, immediately followed by soft pressing and “in bianco” vinification at controlled temperatures in stainless steel vats.
When we tasted the 2021 “yellow label” Gavi it had only been in bottle for a month. Fermentation aromas still dominated. Beneath the yeast were layers of lemon rind, tart pear, flowers, and faint salinity.
La Mesma “INDI” Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Soil type: Calcareous from a small vineyard inside the Monterotondo vineyards
Elevation: 350m
Grapes: Cortese
Method of fermentation: A Gavi del Comune di Gavi from a small Vineyard, influenced by coastal breezes from Liguria and surrounded by woods. This vineyard is certified organic. To enhance a natural approach to vinification, spontaneous fermentation is obtained with a pied de cuve from our own grapes, simply destemmed. INDI stands for indigenous yeasts, but it is also a tribute to Indie music, independent from mainstream culture.
The 2020 “Indi” was made using spontaneous fermentation. The wine had a much rounder palate-feel, and a fantastic diversity of aromas. Ripe apple was in the foreground, citrus and fresh herb/hay aromas played tertiary roles. For young wine it was already quite appealing.
La Mesma “Gavi Spumante” Methodo Classico
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Soil type: clay, limestone
Elevation: 350m
Grapes: Cortese
Method of fermentation: fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel, followed by long aging on the lees in oak barrel.
This January I visited the Rosina sisters in Tassarolo. We sipped Gavi and had lunch in the living room of their winery. In a splendid lineup of certified organic Cortese-based white wines, this was the star. Waxy citrus aromas reminiscent of Wachau wines are present in this bubbly. It’s non dose, and spends almost seven years on the lees. With all that cellar time, pure citrus fruit is still front and center. Piece by piece, PWI is building a sparkling wine portfolio that makes me proud.
The Rosina sisters were outsiders. Paola, Anna, and Francesca bought land in Gavi two decades ago. They were enthusiasts without oenological experience. The family bought a couple hectares, then quickly a dozen more, essentially on a whim. After a couple years of making wine in a semi-commercial manner, the trio purchased a cellar in the hillside hamlet of Tassarolo: population 600. With the help of oenologist Davide Ferrarese, La Mesma went from passion project to rising star in Gavi.
La Mesma has a great location for farming Cortese. Their vineyards are a mix of clay (closer to Tassarolo) and calcareous (nearer to Monterotondo.) The latter is a village and a cru in the heart of the Gavi zone. The fields are 300+ meters above sea level, elevation essential to contend with recent torrid summers. Monterotondo’s limestone vineyards are particularly dry. Winter snows are essential to the quality of La Mesma’s wine from that terroir. The character and concentration of the wines we tasted at our initial meeting made sense in this geologic context.
I met two-thirds of La Mesma at the inaugural Slow Wine fair in Bologna. It was an event that befit the name of the organisation. The pace was unhurried, the tables where we tasted and talked were rarely crowded. I learned some essential truths, including: Paola and Francesca’s sweater game is legit! Floral hand-knit apparel, emblazoned with the name of their Gavi estate.
Their surname means “little rose” in Italian.
Photographer and collaborator Jeff Bramwell had intimated that meeting the Rosina sisters was worth my time. Along with white wines of exceptional clarity and focus, the no-nonsense demeanor of the duo was a huge selling point for me. Down-to-earth, direct in their assessment of their work, and of Gavi in general. I left with confidence about collaboration. Honest white wine made by straightforward people. It's a dream come true. Also, La Mesma reminded me in all the right ways of our decade-long partnership with the trio of Visintini siblings. Maybe there’s magic in that family numerology.
As we were tasting, Paola told me that La Mesma was really her mom’s idea. The sisters just wanted a country house! They started at the beginning of the millenium. Two decades on, the Rosinas make wine in a sensible, low-ish intervention manner. Sulfur use is minimal. Temperature control is employed, but the winemaking isn’t overtly tech-driven. Some fermentations start with pied a cuve. More importantly, the farming is organic. Soil regeneration is a focus. Biodiversity is encouraged.