Roero Arneis Ghita Borgo Lame (2024)

About this wine

This Roero Arneis from Borgo Lame is a pale straw yellow wine with subtle green reflections and a vivid, fresh aroma profile. On the nose it shows green apple, ripe apricot and hints of pineapple along with gentle floral tones and the classic almond note that Arneis from Roero is known for. The palate is dry and delicate with juicy orchard fruit flavors, a touch of citrus and a faint savory bitterness that keeps the finish crisp and mouthwatering. The wine is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and then aged for about two to three months on its lees, which adds a little extra texture and flavor depth without any oak influence. Grapes come from sandy and clay rich Roero soils and are harvested by hand, which helps preserve the natural acidity and purity of fruit. Arneis is an historic white variety native to this part of Piedmont and in Roero it has earned its own top level appellation, known for producing fresh wines that are best enjoyed in the first couple of years after the harvest.

About the grape

Arneis is an old white grape native to Piedmont in northwest Italy, with written mentions going back at least to the nineteenth century, and it has become the signature white variety of the Roero hills. Historically it was often planted among Nebbiolo vines to distract birds from the more valuable red grapes, and for a time it nearly disappeared as growers favored easier varieties before being revived in the 1970s by a small group of dedicated producers. In the Roero Arneis Ghita from Borgo Lame, Arneis is grown on sandy and calcareous clay soils and trained on traditional vertical trellises with Guyot pruning, which helps control its naturally modest yields and manage its finicky growth habits. The grapes for this wine are harvested by hand and handled gently, with cool fermentation in stainless steel and a short period on the lees, practices chosen to showcase the pure character of this single grape variety.

Quick facts

• 🌹 “Ghita” is named after Margherita, the 1920-born matriarch of the family, remembered for slipping a single rose at the end of the Arneis vine row every day after working in the vineyards.
• 🌊 This Roero Arneis comes from sandy, ancient marine soils in the Roero hills, so every sip is literally a taste of what used to be sea bed beneath Piedmont.
• 🕊 The Arneis grape in this wine was once nearly abandoned in Piedmont; a few passionate producers revived it in the 1970s, turning a disappearing field grape into Roero’s signature white.
• 😈 Locals nicknamed Arneis “the little rascal” because it is fussy in the vineyard and tricky to ripen just right, making each successful vintage of Ghita a small viticultural victory.
• 🐦 Historically Arneis vines were planted among Nebbiolo not for blending but to distract birds with their sweeter scent, saving the prized red grapes—Ghita is the modern, stand‑alone star born from that once ‘decoy’ variety.

Palate profile

Producer

Antiche Cantine Borgo Lame is a family-run winery located in Cisterna d'Asti, Italy, nestled between the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato regions. For generations, the family has passed down traditional vine cultivation and winemaking techniques, emphasizing simplicity and authenticity. The winery produces a range of wines, including fruity and intense reds, fresh and mineral whites, and the sweet Moscato, each reflecting the unique terroir of the area. Committed to sustainability, Borgo Lame employs eco-friendly technologies and traditional cultivation methods to respect the environment.