Vallana, Antonio
Piedmont, Italy
Boca
Blend
2010
$24.99
12.5%
Clear brick red core with a touch of purple, rust orange around the edges, bright surface shine. Gently breezy nose of candied cherries, rose petals and camphor, almost medicinal, light accents of leather and straw, clean and direct with room left for further maturation. Light-bodied, the tannin is not slight but rather quietly chugging away at the periphery, drying excess from that maraschino cherry to raspberry fruit. Here it adds in some lemony bite and the leather more prominent. More pressed flowers than dewy petals, the straw/hay notes sets this off well. Lasts well at the finish, oddly perhaps because it lacks swirling lift and more so clings to the tongue. Very good stuff. 65% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina, 15% Bonarda. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
90 points

Note: Back label indicated that this is a "library release." Went back two weeks later to get a couple more bottles but sold out, sigh. Good value.