About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from the Breclema vineyard, whose mineral-rich soils supply the vines with mineral nutrients. The ripest grapes are selected by hand, usually in the second half of October, after careful checks for ripeness.
Vinification
Fermentation is gentle and takes place at 28–30 °C in underground cellars within the hill. From the second day, the cap is punched down by hand twice daily to extract colour and tannins. For the 2004 vintage, malolactic fermentation softened the acidity, making it lower than in other vintages.
Ageing
In March 2005, the wine was transferred to oak barrels and matured there until mid-2006. After bottling, it rested for an extended period in the winery’s cellars.
Tasting profile
The wine has a velvety texture, sweetness and structure from the extraction of tannins during fermentation. The 2004 vintage has softer, lower acidity than other vintages.
Serving and pairing
Decant before serving and use large glasses.
Label / history
The name “Collis Breclemae” refers to the medieval village of Breclema, once a strategic stronghold of the Counts of Biandrate.
Winemaking around the Novara Plain has ancient roots. Evidence indicates that the Celts living on the hilltops of Novara in the fourth to fifth millennium BC knew winemaking traditions; ceramic wine-drinking bowls and cups have been found in the area. Vineyards still grow on these hilltops.
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo traces its roots back at least four centuries. Its modern period began in 1969, when Carlo Arlunno expanded the vineyards, replanted old sites and built a new winery. The estate now has more than 100 hectares of vineyards, 80% of them planted with Nebbiolo.
