Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 vintage started off slowly with lots of rain and cool temperatures that got the season off to a late start. The summer season saw moderate temperatures that helped to further slow down fruit ripening, but a sudden wave of warm temperatures in September eventually brought sugar and phenolic ripeness to an optimal conclusion. Harvest for the 2010 Boca, a blend of 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina, took place on October 25th. Despite that gorgeous vintage DNA, this wine appeared a bit closed during our tasting, showing some reluctance to fully open. You get a touch of that candied fruit that we saw in the 2011 vintage; however, this expression is much more delicate, fragile and fine in terms of the palate. Indeed, the elegant nature of the mouthfeel is this wine's ace card.
Attracting the most glory, prestige and fame to the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo in all of its expressions—Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Ghemme and Gattinara—creates a complex wine, truly unique for its delicate qualities combined with strength and a great potential to improve over time.
But Nebbiolo isn’t all there is to red wine from Piedmont! Barbera is the most planted variety and historically most popular as a dependable, food-friendly, everyday wine.
Beyond these two, a surprising number of red varieties call Piedmont their home. Worth a try include Dolcetto for its bold concentration and aromas of spice cake. Other grapes to investigate include Freisa, Croatina, Brachetto, Grignolino and Pelaverga.