Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo · Ghemme DOCG · 2016
Ghemme
Collis Breclemae 2016
Critical Reception
98 Points. Antonio Galloni. June 2023.
Vinous. Antonio Galloni
"Wild, exotic and totally beguiling. Both powerful and incredibly finessed. Hints of red fruit, orange peel, cedar, tobacco and dried rose petal. Only showing a hint of its potential."
Galloni reviewed this wine in June 2023 and projected a drinking window extending through 2046, noting that what he tasted represented only a fragment of what the wine would eventually become. A 98-point Nebbiolo described as barely showing its potential is not a common occurrence in any appellation.
The companion bottling, Collis Carellae 2016, received Vinous 95 in the same review: "Remains fresh and vibrant. Sweet macerated cherry, spice, leather, tobacco, incense and dried herbs." Drinking window through 2036.
Breclemae '16
Carellae '16
Breclemae '00
| Grape | 100% Nebbiolo (Spanna) |
| Appellation | Ghemme DOCG |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Altitude | 280–310 meters |
| Soil | Glacial moraine: granite, schist, Fenera dolomite, sandstone |
| Drinking Window | 2026–2046 |
| Critical Recognition | Vinous 98 (Galloni, June 2023) |
The Appellation
Before Barolo, There Was Ghemme
The wines of Ghemme were served on the tables of the Dukes of Savoy and the papal court long before the Langhe had a commercial identity. Phylloxera, two World Wars, and post-WWII industrial migration devastated Alto Piemonte's vineyard area. The region is only now being rediscovered by the international wine press, which means the market has not yet caught up with the quality.
Ghemme sits at the northern edge of Piedmont where the Alps begin to assert themselves. The growing season is longer and cooler than Barolo, producing Nebbiolo with more pronounced acidity, more delicate tannin structure, and a perfume that tilts toward dried flowers, orange peel, and alpine herbs rather than the tar-and-roses density of the Langhe.
The defining geological distinction: the glacial moraine soils left by the Monte Rosa glacier are a complex mixture of granite pebbles, schist, crushed Fenera dolomite, sandstone, loam, and sand, entirely unlike the Tortonian and Helvetian marine sediments that define Barolo and Barbaresco. The result is wines with genuine mineral transparency that has no equivalent south of the Alps.
The Arlunno family has farmed these hills since the 1500s. Their decision to vinify 100% Spanna, without the legally permitted 15% of Vespolina or Uva Rara that soften Ghemme's structure and add early-drinking approachability, is a quality-forward choice that trusts the terroir completely.
The DOCG requires a minimum of 34 months total aging (18 in wood) before release; the Riserva designation requires 46 months (24 in wood). Cantalupo's cru wines regularly exceed these minimums. The 2016 vintage, released after the mandatory aging period, arrived in the US market at a moment when the wine had barely begun to open.
In the Cellar
Rack-and-Return. Large Slavonian Oak. Time.
| Harvest | Manual |
| Maceration | 10–15 days, rack-and-return technique |
| Aging Vessels | Large Slavonian oak casks, 15hL, 30hL, and 60hL |
| Aging Duration | 20–36 months (cru wines receive maximum) |
| Oak Contribution | None, large neutral vessels only |
| Blend | 100% Spanna (no Vespolina, no Uva Rara) |
| DOCG Compliance | Exceeds minimum requirements |
The rack-and-return technique (décuvage) removes the wine from the skins, aerates it, and returns it, a more delicate extraction approach than pump-overs, preserving aromatic freshness while still achieving the tannin depth required for Ghemme's long aging trajectory. The result is a wine that manages to be both powerful and transparent.
The large Slavonian oak casks are the key to the style. At 15–60 hectoliters, these vessels provide a controlled oxidative environment, allowing the wine to slowly integrate, resolve tannins, and develop tertiary complexity, without contributing a whisper of flavor. There is no oak in the taste of Cantalupo's wines. There is only the glacial moraine, the Spanna, and the vintage.
The QPR Case
98 Points. Appellation Still Emerging.
The Alto Piemonte value argument is not a speculation; it is a quality fact. The 2016 Collis Breclemae received 98 points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous in June 2023. For context: wines with equivalent critical recognition from Barolo's most celebrated addresses routinely command multiples of what Ghemme costs the market today.
The gap exists because Ghemme remains largely unknown outside Italy and the most sophisticated US wine markets. That window is closing. The international wine press is increasingly focused on Alto Piemonte, and Cantalupo's scores are the kind that accelerate discovery. The time to add this to a program is before the broader sommelier community arrives at the same conclusion.
At the Table
Food Pairings
Ghemme's combination of firm tannin, pronounced acidity, and genuine minerality makes it one of the most food-versatile Nebbiolo expressions. The wine's structure cuts through rich, earthy preparations while its perfume complements delicate ones.
- Porcini risotto or porcini-truffle blend
- Braised rabbit with local herbs and white wine
- Roast lamb with rosemary and anchovy
- Aged Gorgonzola naturale
- Wild boar stew. The traditional Alto Piemonte Sunday supper
- Grilled sausage with polenta and braised bitter greens
BTG Program Notes
Why This Wine Matters
A 98-point Nebbiolo by the glass, described as "wild and exotic" by Galloni, from an appellation your guests almost certainly have not encountered. The Ghemme DOCG is absent from virtually every wine list in the United States.
The Alto Piemonte discovery narrative, ancient family, glacial moraine, forgotten appellation, extraordinary score, gives your staff something genuine and specific to handsell. This is not a wine that explains itself with brand recognition. It explains itself with story, and the story is real.
Why This Wine Matters
Before anyone had heard of Barolo, the wines of Ghemme were served on the tables of the Dukes of Savoy and the papal court. The Arlunno family has been farming these hills since the 1500s. That is not a marketing sentence. It is documented history.
The 2016 Collis Breclemae received 98 points from Antonio Galloni, and it is barely showing its potential. He projects a drinking window through 2046. This is Nebbiolo scoring at the summit of the critical scale, grown on glacial moraine soils with no equivalent in the Langhe, from a family that has been in this appellation for five centuries.
This is what Alto Piemonte represents: wines with centuries of history at a quality level that the broader market has not yet fully recognized. That window of discovery is still open, but it will not be for much longer.
Trade Materials
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