Cantalupo Ghemme Collis Breclemae 1998
Time for another wine from Piedmont. In all honesty it doesn’t exactly fall into the ‘rare grapes’ category, being made from the region’s prime variety, Nebbiolo. But it is a particular kind of Nebbiolo called Spanna. A speciality of the Alpine vineyards in the northern part of the region, it is to be found in such classic appellations as Boca, Lessona, Gattinara and Ghemme. These are zones with a very long tradition of winemaking, producing prestigious ageworthy wines that rose to European fame in the 19th century. Compared to Nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco in southern Piedmont, Spanna yields wines that are lighter in colour and body but higher in acidity and with some quite sturdy tannins that need a long, long time in bottle to settle: wines from the 1950s and 1960s are often in very good shape (and affordable). The bouquets are often less fruity and floral, tending towards the herby, meaty and mineral; ‘austerity’ is a good overall descriptor, but ‘finesse’ is too.
All these appellations are quite small: Gattinara today is down to only 95 hectares (historically it was perhaps four times that), Ghemme has 50 registered hectares. In the past wines were produced either by medium-sized aristocratic estates – sort of châteaux – or, more often, blended by small local négociants that offered a couple of labels from each zone. Yields are low, vineyard work costs very high, the wines were often aged in wood and bottle for 6–7 years: a big investment that was often beyond the means of the small farmers. Today négociants are less important, and the best wines are made by medium-sized private estates such as Travaglini and Nervi (in Gattinara), Le Piane (Boca), the new Proprietà Sperino (Lessona), and Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo in Ghemme.
Cantalupo is a veteran of the Upper Piedmont, having been making good wines since at least the 1960s. Apart from the flagship Ghemme there is a number of interesting labels, including Il Mimo, a rosé Nebbiolo that’s one of Italy’s most exciting, the good white Carolus (which includes a splash of the ultra-rare Greco di Ghemme grape), and Villa Horta, a rare 100% Vespolina (a light, perfumed red grape added to soften harsh Nebbiolo tannins).
At the top of the pyramid we have three crus of Ghemme: Carellae, Breclemae and Signore di Bayard (the only wine here to see small oak, whose is generally discouraged in this district). I have cellared the Ghemme Collis Breclemae 1998 since release, and expected it to be maturing now. But it isn’t – courtesy of the cool 1998 vintage perhaps, but also of the excellent mineral structure of this wine. Colour is a Nebbiolo lightish ruby but no signs of tiring. Nose at first reticent, needs at least 30 minutes’ airing time in glass. A core of clean semi-aged strawberry fruit, melting into an almost chocolatey richness (from maturity, not oak). Not very complex at first but there is not a hint of tertiary character. Palate is really very good, long, fresh and tasty but not particularly acidic. Tannins on finish are firm, and increasingly so with airing time. This wine has poise and stature; it is not austere, but doesn’t give itself away in modernist flatter; it is fresh, authentic, linear and engaging. Overall an excellent bottle, and can / should still wait.