WTN: Boca - a lesser known Piemontese area

Az. Ag. Le Piane Boca DOC 2005 - 13% abv; at least 60% Nebbiolo, the rest mostly Vespolina and a little Bonarda
Boca used to be a highly regarded region in Piemonte in the 19th Century, but for some reason it fell out of favor. Le Piane have tried to resurrect the wine from the area and if this wine is anything to go by, they are doing a pretty good job!

I am glad to see that resuscitating an area isn't in this case synonymous with making bland, boring, oaky wine. The wine is aged for 3-4 years in large casks, so there is gladly no oak interference to my pleasure. It smells wonderfully of junipers and bright red berries; a little like tar and loam, too. It seems like a classically styled Barolo on the nose, which I thought a little strange since it has such a large percentage of Vespalina blended with the Nebbiolo. But apparently Vespalina is very closely related to Nebbiolo so I guess the aromatic profiles might then be very similar?

Lovely palate, too. Lighter bodied than most Barolos I have had, but it has intense and deep flavors; it is pleasantly crisp, deeply tannic and crunchy and is extremely moreish.

2005 was a difficult vintage in Boca, too, with an abnormally hot summer ended by a deluge in September. But this wine doesn't seem to suffer from it: it isn't raisiny or pruney, but neither is it dilute. It's seriously good wine and the only "problem" I see with it is that it needs more age.

I believe that many of the appellations in northern Piedmont were more famous than Barolo 100 years ago, fell on hard times and are now being brought back from near-extinction. I visited Le Piane with the winemaker and owner of Sella, the producer in the neighboring DOCs of Lessona and Bramaterra, and was very impressed. For the moment all of these wines are pretty good values, too.

Hi Otto -

Thank you for the note on the 2005 Le Piane Boca. I tried several of the Le Piane wines at an importer (Adonna) tasting in the fall of 2009, but have not tried this vintage yet. I remember the 2004, 2001, and 2000 Bocas all being excellent, with the 2003 still good, but not quite on the same level due to the riper vintage.

Adonna has also brought in some older vintages from Campo della Piane, which was what the estate was named before Christoph Künzli bought it. I tried three of these wines (1991, 1989, and 1984), and thought that the oldest was the best. All of these either showed some obvious VA or brett, which I somehow think that you wouldn't mind too much. That said, the high VA in the 1991 did strike me as slightly unbalanced.

Actually, Künzli was in the Boston area last month for some events, but I was unable to attend anything this time around.

Andrew,

I think it's good to emphasize that the winemaking has changed completely since those older wines were made. I agree with you that some of them are pretty rustic.

Actually, Künzli was in the Boston area last month for some events, but I was unable to attend anything this time around.

I made it to a tasting and thought the 2001 and 2004 both extremely good, especially the 2004.
Charles

sounds interesting. Only Boca I own is a '96 Vallana. Will keep an eye out for Le Piane