the Vintages

◊ Boca DOC 1998

The first wine was vinificated partly by the Chiò family, thus because his vineyard was bought only in 1999 and 1998 we bought his wine after fermentation. 1998 was a tempered not too hot year with some rains in autumn which give wines with good concentration. The frist Boca-wine has developped since the filling in 2002 good complexitiy with tipical hints of berries and leather and soft liquor-like texture.

◊ Boca DOC 1999

Big quantities, which after some rain in summer was not promising, a nice september corrected the lack of sugar but in the end of september havy rain compromised the quality. Following some sunny days in october lead to a quite late harvest which began the 12 october and could completed within two days. In spite of low concentration of the grapes the wine in the cellar developped without any problems to a very equilibrated aromatic wine. The filled wine even if not so concentrated did as yet a very nice evolution and shows beside berry-fruit spicy and liquirice aromas on long lasting mineral taste. A somewhat classical Boca wine from a middle-quality vintage.

◊ Boca DOC 2000

A very good year with hot summer and few rains. The vineyards we could improve by better regulation of the yield and we could start the harvest quite early the 9th october interrupted by big rains (known by catastrophic floods in Piemont and southern Switzerland) and finished only the 18th october. Like a wonder also the last picked grapes after the rain where healthy and of good sugar degree. The Boca 2000 has good concentration and is very tipical for Nebbiolo in warmer years. After 4 years in barrel the wine was filled in 2004 and shows concentrated berry-notes with liquirice and leather on a warm and soft texture. In the moment quite young but could be the best Boca as yet produced.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2000

Wunderful grapes specially from Croatina reach so high quality that thebest parts was aged in Barrique and separately filled. This would be the experimental wine preparing the "Le Piane" wine produced first time in 2001. Both wines the very concentrated "La Maggiorina" and the prototype of "Le Piane" (labeled under "La Maggiorina Botte No 8") developed very good and th rustic character of the Croatina softened to quite velvety wines.

◊ Boca DOC 2001

A perfect year not too hot but with very little rain and a perfect autumn time which lead to absolute healthy grapes with good sugar content. May be it's the first year where we are fully happy with the difficult Vepsolina grapes so that the Boca wine has first time the planned percentage of 15% of Vespolina. The harvest was the 10th and 11th october. During maturation in the barrel the wine is bosting with concentrated fruit on a fresh acidity and also after filling in 2005 it is still very young. His complex and fullbodied character with a lot of fruit and with a lonlasting finish makes it without doubt to the best wine produced.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2001

Even if one part of the best Croatina has gone to the "Le Piane" wine the Maggiorina is very concentrated and as a every day wine quite too complex and needs some year ripening. Even now it is a very young wine with concentrated spicy and cherry-like aromas. The first "Le Piane" is still in a experimental state with very few bottles but shows the big potential of this new created wine from Croatina grapes.

◊ Boca DOC 2002

The worst year since 50 years with only rain in the whole vegetation period and partly with hailstroms which made this vintage to the most demanding year. A very long and difficult harvest by selecting the best grapes began only the 14th october and gave very little quantities of Boca wine which is amazing for this year showing very interesting aromas which remember a burgundy-wine. With his good harmony on nice fruit and elegant not so concentrated body it is a wine to drink soon to potect the better vintages to be drunken.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2002

Big surprise in this bad year was the "Le Piane", produced to have another experience in the vinification of this wine in little quantities. Even in this year it shows a good concentration with nice spicy notes and good body. Of course the Maggiorina is suffering most of the bad year as all the worse grapes landed in this wine. Filled very early aloowed to keep at least an aromatic and fruity wine with some length.

◊ Boca DOC 2003

An incredible hot summer without any rain till mid of october could not be extremer after 2002 and didn't happen since 1947. A very early harvest which start the 26 september and enden the 28 september gave absolutely perfect grapes with very high sugar degrees. The Boca wine seems to be drinkable immediately because of his low apple acidity. The high alcohol and the full body cover the tannins which seem not to exist. Even if this wine reaches an alcohol degree near 14% it doesn't show the alcohol and is ripe and elegant with aromas of ripe plums, tar and ripe liquor berries.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2003

A not so tipical hot and concentrated La Maggiorina and a extremly concentrated Le Piane with cherry and ripe raspberryfruit shows the big potential of the Croatina grape in the high vineyards of Boca. The Le Piane was compared by some people to a great Chateauneuf-du-Pape and should improve over the next decade with his impressive fruit. The ripening in up to 30 percent new oak this wine integrated without problems and is mixed with the big complexity of this wine.

◊ Boca DOC 2004

After the hot summer of 2003 the vines exploded after the spring rains and gave extremely high quantities. A quite cold summer seemed to lead to a catastrophic harvest but an wunderful september and october with very little rain corrected everything and gave after a extremely late harvest near the 20th of october wines with very good aromatic and harmony, good concentration on very good elegant length. The wine shows now deep berry notes in the nose with some hints of grapefruit and orange and has a velvety, concentrated body with a lot of elegance. The best Boca as yet. 

◊ Le Piane 2004

After the extreme wine of 2003 here we have a Le Piane with very nice aromas and perfect harmony. As the content of Nebbiolo blended to Croatina is a bit higher the wine gained more complexity and length. The Prototyp of a perfect "Le Piane" shows today a spicy velvety fruit with length.

◊ La Maggiorina 2004

A Maggiorina which finally has found his form as a fruity, elegant and easy to drink wine with good charakter showing the mineral soil of Boca.

◊ Boca DOC 2005

It could have been an exceptional vintage because end of august the sugar values are very high and the grapes are healthy on middle yield. Pity that a very bad september with a lot of rain compromised this hopes and needed some selection of the grapes. The harvest was done from 10-12th october and the wine shows nice fruit on good concentration near the level of 2004 and with good harmony.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2005

The selection for Le Piane wine could be very well done and it is very concentrated with hints of spices and cherries and berries. The Maggiorina wine was produced in very little quantity and can be compared to the 2004 with his fresh fruit.

◊ Boca DOC 2006

Again a very good year with well ripened grapes and good acidity. In the moment the wines are ripening slowly with fine aromas and race and class, which can afford longer ripening. The harvest was made the 4-10 October.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2006

The Le Piane connects the concentration of the 2005 with the elegance of the 2004. A wine full of crisp and race which can ripe well some year. The Maggiorina is rare in this year but has a very nice spicy fruit and good body, may be the best Maggiorina as yet.

◊ Boca DOC 2007

The tenth harvest is full of superlatives in quantity and quality. The earliest harvest ever made from middle of September on gave only perfect grapes with perfect ripeness after some perfect weeks of sun without any rain. The concentration together with a harmony and elegance which we never saw as yet. In spite of the high alcohol of 14% the wines are fresh and don't shoe the alcohol. It will last some years to understand the full potential of these wines of a perfect vintage.

◊ La Maggiorina and Le Piane 2007

The "La Maggiorina" may be will not be produced as all the grapes have a much higher level and will give a lot of good Le Piane.