Earlier this year, we offered the 2012 vintage of Castello Conti’s incomparable Boca, one of the world’s great, age-worthy, “cult” Nebbiolos. Our entire inventory sold out almost instantaneously and we’ve been scrambling, with limited success, to track down other vintages for clients ever since.
After visiting the Conti sisters, Elena and Anna, at their small castle in the shadow of the Italian Alps, I can confirm that quality has never been so high at this estate. Shortly after my visit last January, Antonio Galloni published a similar epiphany: He called Conti’s current releases their finest, ever, and said he was “totally blown away” by the visit. Conti’s $59-per-bottle Boca took top honors as always but, at a fraction of the price, he also crowned the sisters’ Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo “a winner” possessing “brilliant purity and nuance” that will “delight Piedmont lovers.” I couldn’t agree more, and that’s why we’re offering a very limited allocation of the superlative 2015 vintage today. This is a bottle you can rip open and enjoy tonight, or stash in your cellar while it only gets better for another 10-12 years.
[**Please Note: This wine will be shipped from our warehouse the week of Monday, Oct. 1st; limit 6 bottles per customer.]
The village of Boca is one of the smallest wine appellations in Italy, made up of only 12 hectares split between 11 families. Like Barolo 90 minutes to the south, Nebbiolo (called Spanna in these parts) reigns supreme and soils are dominated by limestone and clay. However, there are some small details that set Boca—and especially the wines of the Conti family—apart. If you look closely while walking the Conti vineyards, you’ll notice some of the most exotic-looking soil ever planted to Nebbiolo. The Contis’ miniscule 1.6 hectares of vineyards (one additional hectare just recently planted) are full of porphyry and crystals held together by reddish sand and clay. This morainic soil, formed by the retreat of glaciers, literally twinkles in the sunlight and its unique mineral composition is evident in every sip of this stunning wine.
The Conti sisters understand that with this inimitable terroir, years of experience perfecting organic and biodynamic practices, and a treasure trove of ancient vines, they need not fuss over the wines too much in the cellar. There is very little in the way of technology or modern gadgetry in this property’s modest cellar. This bottling, comprised of 100% Nebbiolo, is fermented on indigenous yeasts in large stainless steel vats, after which it is transferred to used oak botti of 5- and 10-hectoliter capacity. It ages about 16 months in wood before bottling and then spends an additional 7-10 months in bottle before release (fairly exceptional for a wine of this price, as is typical of this property). It’s a time-consuming process that results in some of the most expressive and beloved wine in this corner of Italy.
Today’s 2015 vintage is a master class in Novara hillside Nebbiolo, a.k.a. Spanna. Fueled by an avalanche of glacial minerality, the best Nebbiolo in this region possesses a black-fruited barbarism that distinguishes itself from any other Nebbiolo-based wines in the world. Instead of Burgundian berries and delicate flowers, there is a dark, dense maze of black plum, pomegranate, black licorice, oiled leather, maduro cigar tobacco and aromatic dried spices. It’s always humorous to me that these wines are crafted by such elegant women, because my tasting notes from each visit invariably include the words “manly” or “muscular!” And that same raw power in each sip of this wine is what will sustain it for another decade-plus of cellar evolution. That said, this particular “Colline Novaresi” bottling is always remarkably drinkable and well-integrated upon release. It’s an intense and powerful wine, but modest in alcohol and always balanced—a perfect wine to drink now AND later down the line. If enjoying in the next 18 months, please decant for 45 minutes and serve in large Burgundy stems—and you won’t regret introducing this wine to a platter of grilled veal chops!
Buon Appetito!
