Chiara Boschis 2016 Barolo ‘Via Nuova’ Piemonte

‘A taunt and blistering adolescent, pissed off about life and needing to go back to bed, the ’16 Via Nuova is an exceptional bottling from Chiara Boschis, one of the appellations most important producers. Heady, aromatic and like a fawn wanting to walk around before it legs have formed properly, this Barolo is full of greatness, with no place to go but up. A little tough today, better tomorrow.’

This was one of the most highly reviewed wines of the decade, showing how far Chiara Boschis’s Baroli have come since her inaugural vintage of 1990.’ Born into Barolo royalty (Borgongno family), Chiara took the wine road less travelled. While still in oenology school, she convinced her family to take over the Pira estate, important vines from a local winemaking family of prominence. Upon graduating, Chiara spent time with Giorgio Rivetti and other modernists, who forever affected her views on the classicalist approach to Barolo. When she took the reins of the Pira estate in 1990, she set about changing the family recipe of making wines, away from traditionalism and towards a newer approach. She sharply lowered yields, restricted maceration times and introduced barrique aging, ALL BY HERSELF, even going so far as to green harvest at night away from the prying eyes of her uncles. Today, her wines have found themselves somewhere in the middle of traditional expression and embracing modernity.

APPELLATION: Barolo, Langhe

REGION: Piemonte

VARIETAL: 100% Nebbiolo

WINEMAKER: Chiara Boschis