Cantalupo Ghemme Collis Carellae DOCG 2007

WA 94 pts

The 2007 Collis Carellae blasts out of the glass with a compelling melange of dried cherries, smoke, tobacco, licorice, all in the full-bodied, supple style of the year. Still, there is plenty of focus and energy in the glass – not to mention considerable tannin – that will ensure at least medium-term aging. If experience has taught me anything with these wines, though, is that they often drink well for years beyond what most people expect. 100% Nebbiolo from a strict selection of the best grapes from the Carella vineyard (with exposition to sunlight) in the hills near Monte Rosa (second highest in Europe) formed during the interglacial period. Soil is rich in minerals due to significant composition of crush rocks and soil (moraine).

Vineyards located at 280 – 310 m asl. Rackings performed twice a day during the fermentation process in order to enhance the extraction of the anthocyans and the polymerised tannins from the skins, which give that characteristic velvety, sweet and at the same time austere taste to this wine. In March, the wine will be transferred to oak casks for ageing for at least 24 months before bottling. The bottles were then stored horizontally for refining lasting over a year. 13.5% alc . Intense and clear ruby red colour. Deep bouquet, persistent and ethereal. Deep scents of ripe red berries and pleasant note of liquorice. Dry extract: 28,7 g/l. The whole structure is made even more elegant by the presence of soft tannins. Refined and persistent aftertaste. Carella is one of the historic cru of Ghemme. The name Carella is a very ancient geographical name of Celtic origin, “Carellaedunum” which means “Rise of Carella”. Among its vineyards were discovered Neolithic finds, dating back to the 4th millennium B.C.