2011 Le Piane Boca
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
This was a hot vintage with above-average temperatures that extended throughout the growing season, starting in the spring and lasting well until September. Indeed, the 2011 Boca saw fruit harvested much earlier than average, on October 2nd. Christoph Künzli admits that he has never been particularly partial to this edition of his top-shelf Nebbiolo and Vespolina blend. Candied fruit aromas of cherry cough drop and tarry plum open the bouquet, eventually ceding to dry spice, powdered mocha and dusty chocolate shavings. The primary fruit has faded, and there is a lingering spot of ripe sweetness on the finish.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Nebbiolo with Vespolina. Relatively rich and rewarding. Solid and chewy with lots of fruit and character. (JR)
Le Piane's 2011 Boca is simply dazzling. Rich, translucent and remarkably vivid, the 2011 encapsulates all the reasons the wines from Alto Piemonte are so compelling. Sweet red cherry, rose petal, chalk, blood orange and mint are front and center, but it is the wine's superb textural polish that elevates it among some pretty lofty company among the great wines of Italy. The flavors are bold and pungent, but there is also striking depth to the fruit that ensures the savory notes aren't overpowering. This is simply a magical bottle. That's all there is to it.