Of the five famous villages of Barolo’s steep undulating Langhe hills, the northwestern commune of La Morra is considered the greatest source for finesse, floral elegance and soft, approachable tannins. Thanks to the younger and slightly more fertile soils, these expressions of Nebbiolo can show beautifully within 5-7 years of age and have a more supple, aromatically floral characteristic that can only be rivaled by the soft elegance of great red Burgundy. That’s not the only parallel to Burgundy. In Barolo, wines vary from village to village and are organized by cru—or vineyards—in a similar fashion to the Côte d’Or. Today’s wine hails from the La Serra Cru, which translates to “the greenhouse.” Derived from tufaceous limestone and calcareous soil at an elevation of 400 meters, Bosco’s particular parcel of the La Serra Cru rests directly above the powerful cru of Brunate and consequently delivers more power and structure than most examples in La Morra while still retaining the enchanting perfume and floral elegance.
The Bosco family has been growing vines on their farm since the early 1900’s and crafting fine wines in Piedmont’s Barolo for over fifty years. Today, founder Bosco Pietro’s son, Agostino and his wife, Carla, run the estate along with their son and winemaker, Andrea Bosco, and have received ample praise from critics across the board. After attending Alba’s Scuola Enologica and committing himself to the dedicated study of enology, Andrea joined the family business. His Barolo is a Nebbiolo of an incredibly traditional style. Following harvest, the wine is fermented in climate controlled stainless, macerated for 20-22 days then racked and allowed to start malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged for 6-7 months in 1-2-year-old barriques and tonneaux before it is laid to rest in traditional 2000-liter Slavonian oak botti for an additional 23-24 months. After barrel-aging, the wine is lightly fined and filtered before bottling where it ages for eight months before release. The result is an extraordinary Barolo that doesn’t require an entire generation to age.
This 2011 Barolo displays a garnet red core with orange and slight amber hues on the meniscus, typical of a younger Nebbiolo. The rich and classic nose enchants the senses with perfumed floral tones of roses and wildflowers then unfolds into perfectly composed red fruits including redcurrant, strawberry, dried plum and bing cherry over endless secondary aromas of fennel, dried orange peel, red tobacco leaf, leather, a hint of wet leaves, crushed white stones, sandalwood and exotic spices. The medium-bodied palate offers a stunning core of red fruit, complex earth and savory characteristics, similar to the nose that is lifted into perfect poise by the beautiful, fresh acidity and continue to resonate through the long, haunting finish. This wine is simply on fire after five minutes open and will continue to get even better in the glass. For ideal serving conditions, decant for thirty minutes and serve between 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems. For a pairing that will teleport you to Piedmont, try
this recipe for ragu over the region’s classic Tajarin pasta. Your guests will never forget it.
