Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
I was unable to attend any of the talks given or dinners hosted by Christophe Kunzli when he visited NYC recently but at least I could swing past a shop that was pouring a spread of his wines.
Le Piane was founded on the grounds of Antonio Cerri, the last of the old Boca makers still working the vines in 1988. Unlike many parts of Europe, the Boca region had not declined due to the ravages of the World Wars but simply lost its men to better economic opportunities nearby. (I think Diana said it was textiles.)
Boca vineyards are a PITA, narrow and steep, and therefore the vines are too close together for any helpful farm machinery. Everything carried on your back, everything done by hand. A factory job or a desk job might sound pretty appealing. But we are all grateful for Le Piane's wines.
Diana, whose last name I did not get, works for the importer and she is totally sharp, educated, and a delight to geek out with.
Le Piane 2023 Vino Bianco "Blanka" - interesting that the website names the grape "????" but Diana says it is erbaluce, this is just great: powerful acidity helps lift up this big viscous grape, clean and pure, I would never have given it a second look on the shelf but I love it (and bought)
Le Piane 2020 Vino Rosso "Mimmo" - young vines nebbiolo and vespolina; as it happens, I have a couple bottles of this wine at home already, typical mountain wine (meaning good acidity, light color, and light on flavor while it's young)
Le Piane 2019 Boca - more mountain wine, mature vines, but a troubled vintage (cold spring, deer intrusions, rain at harvest) so the wine is minerally but still very tight and not much fun to drink now, and there wasn't much of it
Le Piane 2018 Boca - released *after* the 2019, this was the best vintage in 20 years; I had a bottle of this a year ago and it is much more open now, full, fruitier, really good (should buy)
Le Piane 2022 Vino Rosso "maggiorino" - a kind of field blend that was common once upon a time, 13 (or more) local grape varieties (red and white, some very obscure (think: surprised ampelographers)), this has interesting flavors but is very grippy (and its page is hard to reach so click)
Le Piane was founded on the grounds of Antonio Cerri, the last of the old Boca makers still working the vines in 1988. Unlike many parts of Europe, the Boca region had not declined due to the ravages of the World Wars but simply lost its men to better economic opportunities nearby. (I think Diana said it was textiles.)
Boca vineyards are a PITA, narrow and steep, and therefore the vines are too close together for any helpful farm machinery. Everything carried on your back, everything done by hand. A factory job or a desk job might sound pretty appealing. But we are all grateful for Le Piane's wines.
Diana, whose last name I did not get, works for the importer and she is totally sharp, educated, and a delight to geek out with.
Le Piane 2023 Vino Bianco "Blanka" - interesting that the website names the grape "????" but Diana says it is erbaluce, this is just great: powerful acidity helps lift up this big viscous grape, clean and pure, I would never have given it a second look on the shelf but I love it (and bought)
Le Piane 2020 Vino Rosso "Mimmo" - young vines nebbiolo and vespolina; as it happens, I have a couple bottles of this wine at home already, typical mountain wine (meaning good acidity, light color, and light on flavor while it's young)
Le Piane 2019 Boca - more mountain wine, mature vines, but a troubled vintage (cold spring, deer intrusions, rain at harvest) so the wine is minerally but still very tight and not much fun to drink now, and there wasn't much of it
Le Piane 2018 Boca - released *after* the 2019, this was the best vintage in 20 years; I had a bottle of this a year ago and it is much more open now, full, fruitier, really good (should buy)
Le Piane 2022 Vino Rosso "maggiorino" - a kind of field blend that was common once upon a time, 13 (or more) local grape varieties (red and white, some very obscure (think: surprised ampelographers)), this has interesting flavors but is very grippy (and its page is hard to reach so click)