Hey gang,
I had a very impressive half-dozen wines in my bag yesterday, but one in particular really reached out and throttled me… I’m sure you’ve all had similar experiences as I have with young Conti Boca being somewhat reticent and closed-in on itself–a beautifully muscled runner that still needs to warm up before she can sprint. Well, on the strong contrary, this 2011 Boca explodes from the starting block like Flo-Jo… A rocket of ripe, fresh-picked strawberry fruit blasts up into the nostrils, and it’s a good thing we have skulls because these aromas are on an orbit-breaking trajectory–heady, evocative, almost confusing in their vividness. The palate is host to a thrilling three-way wrestling match between smoky minerality (a tell of Boca’s volcanic soils), electric Alpine acidity (it is a *succulent* acidity, if that makes any sense–woven completely into the fabric of the thing), and more of that juicy, sexy, almost spreadable strawberry fruit. Of all our great wines from the Alto Piemonte, it is a Conti vintage like this that comes closest in spirit and physique to the ethereal magic of Carema. I highly encourage you to open and share a bottle in the near future…
-Clarke
Beautiful, Clarke. Thanks … an energizing thought for the day … NIR
