Description
Conti, Boca
Given that I’m on a perpetual hunt for Conti’s highly limited Boca Nebbiolo, it was only logical that I visit their cellar during my recent trip to Piedmont. After winding 90 minutes north into the Alpine foothills, the iconic Conti sisters greeted me with a joyously warm and unrivaled welcome by uncorking a Boca vertical spanning four decades! Although most of the older gems will never leave their cellar, today’s spellbinding 2018 release was among the highlights of the tasting, and it’s just arrived in America.
For the uninitiated, Conti’s flagship Boca is produced in terribly small quantities and has become a siren call for collectors who gravitate towards the world’s most perfumed and elegant Nebbiolo. After 36 months of evolution in old Slavonian oak botti, today’s fascinating 2018 epitomizes everything that’s made them an international success. Respected critic Antonio Galloni also has full-throated praise for this vintage, and his glowing review can be paraphrased in a single sentence: “Those who enjoy ethereal, pure, nuanced reds will absolutely adore it.” Compared to the mammoth productions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Conti’s Boca is the size of an ant, so we must strictly limit purchases to six bottles. You’re going to want every last one.
BONUS: Want to reload on the previous vintage of Conti Boca? We have access to a few dozen bottles of their 2017, available here. Maximum of two per person.
Once an Italian epicenter for Nebbiolo production, the microscopic, high-altitude haven of Boca is one of the smallest yet historically grand wine regions of our times. It became largely abandoned after the Second World War and almost fell into complete oblivion by the ‘90s, but a few steadfast winemakers, Conti included, dug in their heels and persevered. Today, the region is in the middle of an explosive and deeply rewarding renaissance, yet the wines remain ridiculously hard to track down. The village of Boca is one of the smallest wine appellations in Italy, made up of only a handful of hectares split between a couple of dozen producers. Like Barolo 90 minutes to the south, the Nebbiolo grape reigns supreme here 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 from the pack. First, the blending varieties Vespolina and Uva Rara play a quiet but masterful supporting role behind Nebbiolo in today’s wine. Next, if you look closely while walking the Conti vineyards, you’ll notice some of the most exotic-looking soil ever planted to Nebbiolo. Their tiny holdings are full of porphyry and crystals held together by reddish sand and clay. The soil literally twinkles in the sunlight and its unique mineral composition is evident in every sip.
The Conti sisters understand that such unique terroir and their combined years of perfecting organic and biodynamic practices (herbicides have never been introduced to their vines) means they need not fuss too much in the cellar. There is very little in the way of technology or modern gadgetry at Conti. The minuscule amount of juice produced from their vineyards is fermented in a stainless steel tank. There are twice-daily punch-downs during fermentation and after malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred to old, handmade, Slavonian oak botti. It rests here for a minimum of three years before bottling and sees further maturation before exiting the cellar doors.
Where to begin with this 2018 release…Out of the last six vintages I’ve tasted, I cannot remember a more nuanced, soft, prettily perfumed Nebbiolo emerging from Conti’s cellars. Served at 55-60 degrees in Burgundy stems, this displays a translucent, bright ruby hue and emits remarkably intricate aromatics in the form of juicy Bing cherry, wild strawberry, spiced red plum, crushed black rock, alpine herbs, blood orange peel, fresh rose petal, and soft yet deeply integrated baking spices. The palate is medium-bodied and resoundingly vibrant with a seamless core of fine-grained tannins that meld into a savory, bright-red-fruited finish. It’s such a phenomenal effort from the Conti sisters, one that can be enjoyed unabashedly now or cellared for another 5-10+ years so sublime secondary layers can develop. Enjoy!
