The WOW effect from Podere ai Valloni
Posted on: 05-06-2020 om 07:43:37
| Karina Imschoot
In 1969, the 'appellation d'origine contrôlée' - the Doc - of Boca wine was established by ministerial authorisation. But the vineyards, which had covered every metre of the territory just a few decades earlier, had almost completely disappeared: the DOC of the wine had arrived, but the wine was no longer there.
However, there were people who had a passion for wine and for this area and in 1980 Guido Sertorio and his wife Cristiana Lombardi bought the "Podere ai valloni" winery with the historic Ca' Finazzi on top of the Traversagna road.
Podere ai Valloni was the first company to be registered as a producer of Boca doc. The year 2020 is the fortieth year of an activity that combines product and environment in artistic harmony.
The activity is already in the hands of the new generation with their daughter Anna and Andrea who have fully adopted the Sertorio philosophy: cultivating a beautiful vineyard and producing excellent wines.
Cristiana explains: "From the beginning, Podere ai Valloni has been not only a winery, but also a 'vineyard garden' cultivated with the greatest respect for the environment.
We have been growing organic since 2011 and in 2014 we obtained the certification of the Icea Institute (Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification)".
He adds: "Even Luigi Veronelli was the first to talk about our wine.
What are the particularities of the production of Podere Ai Valloni?
Anna: "The wines are produced exclusively with our grapes, which allows full traceability. The yield per hectare is only 40q, although in the area 90q may be achieved. This is because we make a precise selection at each stage of the production cycle, giving priority to quality.
For the same reason, we allow our Boca Vigna Cristiana to ripen for at least 3 years in oak barrels, plus 12 months in bottle before marketing".
Quite a long maturation period: "It's almost double what the regulations require, but we think it's very important to soften the hard tannins of Nebbiolo and Bonarda to ensure that the wine is balanced and released at the best time. Aging is good for Boca, who only with time can express all the depth of the wine, the sensations that the terroir gives him. It is a wine that gives the best between 10 and 20 years old".
How is the Boca Wine composed?
"Boca Vigna Cristiana is produced with 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina and 10% Bonarda novarese. We harvest by hand in the middle of October, after which the grapes are destemmed and vinified with a maceration of 15/20 days.
When the fermentation is over, we separate the skins from the must and at this point the wine is ready to mature in barrels. For Boca doc, we only use 2500 litres of oak barrels".
Since 2011, the Colline novaresi red DOC "Sass russ" is also produced, ideal for an appetizer in Piedmontese style.
The latest addition is a young Nebbiolo: Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo doc Gratus (85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina).
Prizes include the diploma of the "Douja d'Or 1998" competition for the 1990 vintage and the diploma of the "Calice d'Oro 2001" and "Calice d'Oro 2009" competitions, awarding the best "Nebbiolo Novaresi" for the 1991 and 2004 vintages respectively.
Boca 2000 was included in the Top Hundred Wines ranking in 2012, while online magazine Wine Enthusiast rated Boca doc Vigna Cristiana 2009 with a score of 93/100, vintage 2010 with 95/100 and vintage 2011 with 92/100.
Boca 2008, 2009 and 2010 were awarded the Merano Wine Festival Red Award in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively.
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