Le Piane, "Boca" 2017

The top wine from the forgotten ancestral homestead of Nebbiolo, this is extreme high-elevation cultivation of the grape variety from very old vines. 

Le Piane’s "Boca" has become recognized not only as the Benchmark wine of Alto Piemonte, but as one of the great Nebbiolo based wines of Italy and in doing so has become a beacon of light for the whole zone. Producers are bottling again, doing a better job with their wines, even replanting vineyards. We are no longer the only ones importing from Boca, and folks don’t call me crazy any longer for deciding to import these wines nearly 2 decades ago. Well.... at least not for THAT reason. Boca is mostly Nebbiolo but also includes 15% Vespolina, a variety according to Cristoph, even more finicky than Nebbiolo. He says it would be easier and cheaper to make it from pure Nebbiolo, but is convinced the Vespolina in proper measure, simply makes the wine better. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, minimal added SO2 at bottling.