TN: 1976 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Boca (Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca)




  • 1976 Antonio Vallana e Figlio Boca - Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Boca (3/19/2020)
    Ideally stored example. Beautiful mature nose displaying slightly dry warm red fruit, cherry, raspberry preserve, plum, charred steak, anise, cinnamon, sous bois, leather, iron and earth. Perfectly mature palate, nicely layered generous dark red fruit, silky and fluid, bright acidity and strong earthy mineral, and a long sweet red fruit driven finish with anise and cinnamon at the end. The fruit is remains surprisingly generous. Incredibly delicious, exceptional showing. (96 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Very nice.

Wow! I had no idea that bottling would last that long?! I usually drink the Boca first. Thanks for the note.

Kevin

Haut-Piémont offers really many very good and less expensive (compared to Barolo) wines … (the last one for me was an excellent La Prevostura Lessona 2011).

I reported here : Haut-Piémont wines (Lessona, Ghemme, Fara, Gattinara, ...) - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

Very nice

Apart from one single 2011 vintage, I haven’t had a Vallana Boca as young as 1976.

Some of them are already past their peak, but for example vintages 1964 and 1961 were just singing. The best vintages can easily survive for over half a century.

For comparative purposes, here’s my note on the 1964 vintage:

Developed and moderately translucent dark cherry color with a brick-orange rim. Rich and very distinctive nose with complex aromas of plum liqueur, some ripe boysenberry, a little bit of dried dark berries, light leathery notes, a medicinal hint of herbal liqueur and a lifted touch of balsamic VA. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and velvety smooth on the palate with remarkably complex flavors of slightly wizened black cherries, some crunchy redcurrants, a little bit of minty herbal character, light umami notes of beef consommé, an acetic hint of balsamico and a touch of juicy red fruit. The wine is remarkably big and fleshy for a Boca with a great structure, thanks to the high acidity and firm, grippy tannins. The finish is quite tannic and grippy with rich and lengthy flavors of ripe dark berries, some acetic balsamico character, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light leathery tones and a tertiary, umami hint of beef jerky.

A remarkably ripe, juicy and weighty effort for a Boca with a structure that can hold a candle to any firm Nebbiolo of Barolo or Barbaresco, wonderfully showing how remarkable vintage 1964 was not only in the Langhe area, but also in Alto Piemonte as well. While many older Vallana Bocas have not held together that well - many have not even survived this long - this 1964 was on the contrary in a wonderful shape, not showing any signs of decline. Most likely the wine has hit its plateau of maturity some time ago already and there is no room for further development, I still believe the wine is not going to be falling apart anytime soon. An exceptional Boca and probably the best aged Vallana I’ve tasted. (95 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker