Until a couple of years ago Davide Carlone was a ghost, someone known only to the producers in Alto Piemonte. Admired for the fruit he grows in his vineyards, which include the oldest Boca vineyard in existence and a 100+ year old Croatina vineyard, he supplies many of the top wineries in the area with more than half of their fruit, for now…. When I first met Cristiano Garella he told me that Carlone was going to be the best producer in Boca. Carlone prefers to spend his time in the vineyard, but once you get him into the cellar and talking about his wines he has plenty to say, though he steers the conversation back to the fruit often. He has identified 7 clones of Nebbiolo that he believes are perfect for his vineyards and after tasting blended and unblended parcels with him spanning several vintages I have to agree. Yet another great part of Alto Piemonte is the fact that you can have someone like Carlone who has remained unknown until a couple of years ago. Tiny production and he sells out very quickly. Everything is done by hand.
