Le Piane "Maggiorina" Vino Rosso Boca, 2021

Field Blend: Nebbiolo (40%), Croatina (40%), Vespolina (5%) and 9 other local varieties including some white varietals. “Maggiorina”, a somewhat lighter wine, is produced from grapes grown in old “Maggiorina” vineyards (25 different small fields). These fields are planted mixing 12 different varieties of grapes (mostly Nebbiolo and Croatina but even some white and aromatic grapes) to give a real field blend. The wine is released after one year of aging in stainless steel tanks, and, as well as the characteristic mineral and spicy taste, it also has hints of fresh fruits. This is a wine that should be enjoyed within the first two years after harvest.  Boca is Piemonte's easternmost DOC zone, and with the exception of the also little known area of Sizzano, it's northernmost as well. It is entirely surrounded by a mountainous national park. It forms something of a southerly exposed amphitheatre at 400-500 m elevation, just west of the "Ridiculously " beautiful Lago d'Orta. The stony soils are unique in all of Italy and closely resemble those of Cote Rotie. It was once one of Italy's most esteemed wines. In the year 1300, (no typo) a reporter from Novara described it's wines as being "renown since ancient times". Perhaps pre-Roman? There is no evidence of Nebbiolo being grown yet in the Langhe that early. Boca the wine, from the town of the same name, had fallen into near extinction. Vineyards were abandoned as folks moved into nearby Novara and Torino for jobs in post WWII Italy. It's vineyards, once famous, were divided with each passing generation into uselessly small plots.

It took a wonderfully crazy Swiss man by the name of Cristoph Kunzli, a Swiss importer of Italian wines, (Montenidoli among others) to single handedly breathe life back into this historic growing area. After more than ninety independent real estate transactions, with owners all over the world, he pieced back together a property sizable enough (6.5 hectares) and contiguous enough to merit the investment in a proper cellar. Then came the replanting of the vineyards! All in all, a Herculean effort on the part of Cristoph, but well worth it in the end. These wines are ethereal and Glorious! The AIS bestowed a huge honor on the 2004 Boca this year selecting it as one of the 30 best wines made in Italy from the approximately 200 that received their 5 bunches award. Cristoph's journey from Swiss importer of Italian wines to the most notable producer of a once dying, now thriving wine zone named Boca, centers on tasting the wines of a man named Antonio Cerri. Cerri made Boca from one half hectare of vineyard for over 60 years. Cristoph bought the land and the cellar and spent time with him to learn the history of the place and its wines. 

PAIR WITH AN EASY-READING FAVORITE BOOK, FRESH PIZZA, GRILLED BEEF AND PORK

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