Description
Conti, Boca
Conti Boca has become the wine version of a fire drill: It happens sporadically, usually once per year, but when the alarm sounds you lurch into motion by grabbing all you can for enjoyment over the next one, two, three, even four decades. In fact, a colleague of mine just opened a 1985 library release and it instantly became the greatest Alto Piemonte experience of her career. That’s because a bottle of Boca Nebbiolo vinified at Conti remains some of the most expressive, infinitely intriguing, and beloved wine in this corner of Italy.
Even at a young age, these wines—especially today’s newly released 2017—guarantee to fulfill the dreams of any red wine collector. The reasons are manifold: Conti only farms three hectares in the minuscule growing zone of Boca; their wines have become bonafide cellar collectibles; and classic vintages like today’s sublime, outstandingly age-worthy Nebbiolo consistently outperform the blue bloods of Barolo and Barbaresco. That’s why I lunge for Conti’s Boca at every opportunity. Because their entire production could easily fit inside my walk-in closet, we must again limit everyone to a maximum of six bottles—you’re going to want/need every last one!
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, 500-liter oak botti. It rests here for a minimum of three years before bottling and sees further maturation before exiting Conti’s cellar doors.
Federal wine law should require stashing away current-release Conti Boca for a bare minimum of 10 years because they age with Piedmont’s finest. Truly, these are special Nebbiolos that develop new, soul-stirring intricacies at each new aging tier, but that doesn’t mean one or two bottles shouldn’t be opened over the next few years! After a 60-minute decant, Conti’s 2017 opens up with gentle aromas of redcurrant, dried rose petal, blood orange rind, clay, spiced red plum, cherry skin, tar, pipe tobacco, and damp wild herbs. This is a wonderfully elegant take on Nebbiolo that already has approachable, silky tannins and mouthwatering bursts of acidity. It’s red-fruited and marked with an intricate minerality that further energizes the palate and triggers a salivary reflex. Translation: this sublime, complex, and nuanced Nebbiolo will disappear much faster than you’d prefer. Enjoy!
