Rovellotti

History

Rovellotti is a family estate based in Ghemme, a small appellation on the left bank of the Sesia river in the Novara hills of northern Piedmont. The zone sits in the shadow of Barolo and Barbaresco in terms of recognition, but shares the same grape, Nebbiolo (called Spanna locally), and its own long tradition of serious red wine production. The Rovellotti family has worked this corner of the Novara hills across multiple generations, and the estate has remained in family hands through the modern era. Ghemme received DOCG status in 1997, and Rovellotti has been one of the producers most associated with defining what the appellation can achieve at its upper end. The estate produces wines under both the Ghemme DOCG and the broader Colline Novaresi DOC, the latter used for varietal bottlings of Nebbiolo and Vespolina, as well as experimental or non-conforming cuvees released under the Innominabile label, a name that translates roughly as "the unnameable" and signals wines that fall outside conventional classification.

Vineyards

The vineyards sit on the morainic and volcanic soils characteristic of the Novara hills, a geologically distinct zone where glacial deposits meet weathered porphyry and other volcanic-origin material. This subsoil structure distinguishes Ghemme from the Langhe and is often cited as a reason the Nebbiolo here tends toward a slightly more austere, mineral profile than its southern counterparts. The estate holds named parcels including Chioso dei Pomi and Costa del Salmino, both recognised single-vineyard sites within the Ghemme DOCG, and Valplazza and Ronco al Maso, which appear across multiple bottlings including the Colline Novaresi range. Altitude and exposure details for individual parcels are not fully documented in publicly available sources. Farming practices have not been formally certified as organic or biodynamic as far as public records indicate.

Winemaking

For the Ghemme DOCG wines, extended maceration and significant oak aging are standard, in line with DOCG requirements that mandate a minimum aging period including time in wood. The Riserva bottlings, such as Costa del Salmino, spend additional time in barrel and bottle before release and represent the estate's most structured and age-worthy output. Vessel choice across the range appears to include both larger traditional casks and smaller barrique, though the balance between these is not fully documented. The Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo and Vespolina bottlings are generally lighter in structure than the DOCG wines and intended for earlier drinking. The Innominabile range is notable for its flexibility, encompassing both white (Il Criccone Bianco) and red (Il Criccone) interpretations made from varieties or blends that fall outside the DOC framework, giving the estate room to work outside classification constraints. Vespolina, an indigenous variety often used as a blending component elsewhere, receives solo bottling treatment at Rovellotti in a way that speaks to the estate's commitment to the native grape palette of the Novara hills.