Winemaker Notes
Boca is a hidden jewel! If Gattinara is the King, Boca is the Queen. The best words to describe this wine are elegant, finessed and delicate. This is a true example that
beauty in youth and elegance in age are not mutually exclusive. The Boca appellation is located near Ghemme and Gattinara in the Alto Piemonte. This unique wine shows the most elegant nose, with spicy and fruity notes and a silky smooth palate, long and persistent.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Vallana's 2018 Boca is an old-school, super-classic wine. Firm tannins wrap around a core of macerated dark cherry, cinnamon, licorice, dried herbs and menthol. The 2018 needs a good decant. Readers will find a sturdy, virile Alto Piemonte red endowed with tons of character.
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.