2017 Rovellotti “Chioso dei Pomi” Ghemme
Out of all the Alto Piemonte wines review this year by Antonio Galloni at Vinous, the 2017 Rovellotti “Chioso dei
Producer
Rovellotti
I have reviewed one wine from Rovellotti: the 2017 Rovellotti “Chioso dei Pomi” Ghemme (98 points).
Rovellotti is the keeper of the flame in Ghemme, one of the micro-appellations of Alto Piemonte. The family traces its roots in the village to the 1600s, and brothers Antonello and Paolo Rovellotti work from the ancient Ricetto, the medieval fortified village of Ghemme. They farm sustainably, with Nebbiolo, locally called Spanna, and Vespolina.
Ghemme is known for iron-rich volcanic soils that help its wines age and give Nebbiolo a distinctive character, with tannins that have a sweeter undertone. Rovellotti wines are intellectual, austere and evocative of the misty, medieval landscape, and they consistently over-deliver.
The flagship Ghemme “Chioso dei Pomi” is a classic Alto Piemonte red, rust-coloured, with tar, dried flowers and minerals on a nervous acidic spine. The 2017 is a textbook expression of the region’s Nebbiolo, with structure, elegance and the potential to age for twenty years, and a fine alternative for Nebbiolo lovers saving their Barolo for special occasions.