Le Piane Boca Nebbiolo 2019

Region: Boca, Alto Piemonte, Piedmont, Italy
Grape(s): 85% Nebbiolo, 15% Vespolina
Winemaker: Kristoph Künzli
Drinks Best: Now - 15 Years

Kristoph Künzli arrived in Boca in the early 1990s via the wine trade in his native Switzerland. He fell in love with the wines of one of the DOC’s last remaining producers, and he didn’t want to see the winemaking heritage of the village disappear. Wines here have incredible elegance, and a lightness not typically associated with Nebbiolo. That’s not to say that they lack structure or complexity. A long maceration imparts ample tannin, but they are very fine and unobtrusive. The wine then ages in large, old oak vat for three years of refinement. The wine has crunchy red fruit, rose petals, and cedar. Vespolina adds some white pepper spice to the blend.

Pairings: Novara-style rice and beans, with sausage, onion, carrot