Tenute Guardasole Nebbiolo Pio Decimo 2018

Price drops to $24.95 per bottle when you order 6 or more!

We’re back with another Tenute Guardasole – this time, their revered 94 POINT Pio Decimo! Nebbiolo is the star here, grown at the highest elevations you’ll find in Piemonte! We’ve compared this relatively new estate to ARPEPE before, and this holds perhaps stronger than ever with this new arrival – high-toned, structured, and complex nebbiolo that will develop for decades! Under $30 is a fantastic price on one, but get six today, and this deal becomes extraordinary – only $25 a bottle!

In the northernmost corner of Piemonte, climbing far above the elevations of Barolo and Barbaresco in the south, you’ll find Boca. This is a prime spot for the current re-birth of Alto Piemonte, and this new, yet traditionally rooted producer is starting to make waves. Based off of nebbiolo, and named for Pope Pius X, born in neighboring Treviso, this wine is both distinctly nebbiolo, and yet, not likely to be confused for Barolo or Barbaresco that is so commonly identified with the grape. The aromas are herbal and earthy, with lavender, pomegranate husk, and black truffles dominating. The palate is exceptionally balanced, with more pomegranate, black cherries, licorice, crumbled chalk, and a myriad of exotic spices. The structure is powerful, and rigid, seemingly with an organized sentience to the way in which it builds in the mouth. Decanting is suggested for drinking young, and the cellar window will likely extend for decades.

The vineyards of Marco Bui totals a scant 2 hectares, but after all, only 17 hectares in total is found in the entire Boca DOC. These plots date back to the 1800s, but were long since abandoned when Marco purchased and re-planted the plots in 2009. Everything is farmed organically, and he even goes so far as to adjust the pH of the soil by bringing in shards of limestone from the Ligurian Sea. That’s some serious dedication, and a perfect snapshot of how meticulously scrutinized each step of his processes are.

In the end, this is some delectable and serious stuff – there’s a good chance you’ve never tried anything quite like this. This is a simply incredible price for the complexity and sheer pleasure fashioned into this single bottle. Remember, the price drops to $25 when you buy six, and this is a gem to have in your collection in great stores, no question. Grab a six-pack and see it evolve over the coming years!

PAIRING IDEAS: Beef tartare is the other side of this particular coin – something lean, bright, elegant, and earthy – just like this wine. One of my favorites is at Long Meadow Ranch’s Farmstead restaurant in Saint Helena: grass-fed beef, local olive oil, and a sumptuous egg yolk dropped in the center. Fabulous!