2022 Le Piane Nebbiolo

One hundred miles north of Barolo, nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, lies Boca. It’s a melange of snow-capped peaks, dense forests, and sprawling vineyards; a special, high-elevation enclave of ancient volcanic soils in a larger region known as Alto Piemonte. Here, wild, mountain-grown Nebbiolo and Vespolina rein supreme. Boca is home to only a handful of wineries, and Le Piane is the undisputed star. To love Boca is to love Le Piane, and vice versa.

Le Piane does bang-up job of showing off the crystalline, high-toned splendor of Nebbiolo, and this bottle has it in spades. This blend is made up almost exclusively of Nebbiolo with a little Vespolina, and shows off a deeply Italian nose of cherry, pepper, earth, leather, and iris. The palate is delicate yet sinewy, with lovely fruit surrounding a pulsing acid backbone and medium-grained tannins.