“Christoph Künzli is one of the architects of the Renaissance of Alto Piemonte. Over the last 25 years, Künzli has built one of the most highly regarded wineries in all of Italy…Le Piane represents the best of the artisan tradition in Alto Piemonte. These are reference-point wines.”

—Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Located in the small village of Boca, Le Piane is one of our favorite Alto Piemonte producers. Swiss-born Christoph Kunzli purchased the cellar and a tiny clutch of vines from octogenarian vigneron Antonio Cerri soon after arriving in the region in the late 1980s. If — like us — you find a hypothetical cross between the traditional wines of Barolo and the Savoie quite enticing, then these wines are must-trys.

Lighter, earthier, and probably a little weirder than the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alto Piemonte offers Nebbiolo drinkers a sense of adventure. While its most famous appellation is Gattinara (even more so after Roberto Conterno purchased the Nervi estate a few years ago), the DOC of Boca is especially intriguing for its volcanic soils, unique in this part of Italy.

Today, we have two delicious and distinctive wines to offer: Le Piane’s 2018 Boca and 2023 Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo.

The Boca is tightly structured and needs food to drink today, but has profound complexity and almost unlimited aging potential. Mostly Nebbiolo, with a splash of Vespolina, it's a truly great Italian wine, and one that could only come from this part of the world. We get notes of grapefruit, strawberries, dried herbs and scorched earth. It combines generous fruit with real mountain attitude, and could only come from this tiny DOC.

The Nebbiolo is more forward and silky, but it still has intriguing alpine bitterness that makes it very complex for the price. It tastes of strawberries, rhubarb, and has just enough tannin to be a great food wine — though you could drink it on its own. One caveat — we have about 45 bottles in stock right now, but more will be available in the New Year. Please let us know if you need your order immediately or if you are able to wait 2 weeks for fulfillment.

These are gorgeous wines from a lesser-known part of Italy and they’re absolutely worth your consideration.

Le Piane, Boca, 2018 $77.99

“The 2018 Boca is a deep, powerful wine. Sweet tobacco, new leather, cedar, spice and dried dark fruits abound. This is an especially savory, earthy vintage for the Boca. I would have never guessed this is from the 2018 vintage—it’s still youthfully austere and needs time.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Le Piane, Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo, 2023 $24.99

 

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