Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Albarola 2019 Review

The Liguria region is likely not the first that will come to mind if we were to ask you to name some Italian wine regions. For most, the likes of Tuscany or Veneto would be the first ports of call. Even regions like Sicily are more likely to come to mind than Liguria.

This is by no means meant to disparage the Liguria region.

Instead, we simply aim to demonstrate the versatility and sheer variety available when we talk about Italian wine. It is tempting to reduce Italian wine to the more famous regions that receive the most acclaim. But the fact is that there are dozens of regions in Italy that are the home of stunning wines, with each offering its own terroir and producers who have unique philosophies regarding their work.

We mention Liguria because it is from this region that the wine we’re going to profile originates.

The Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Albarola 2019 is a stunning Italian white wine produced by the wonderful team at Lunae Bosoni. But we’ll get to the wine in just a moment. First, let’s learn a little more about this unique producer and the gorgeous land they call home.

The History

You can read so much into a name.

A name can tell you about the origins of a person or product. Some even argue that a name can indicate a person’s dominant personality traits. But in the case of Lunae Bosoni, the name indicates a deep history and tradition dating back to the time of the Ancient Romans.

The name Lunae, in particular, is inspired by the Goddess Luna, who was known in Ancient Greek and Etruscan circles as Selene. It was the Greeks and Etruscans who first populated the land on which the town of Luni, which also serves as an inspiration for the name, now stands. Back then, Luni was a port town, though the settlement was somewhat ragtag. It wasn’t until the Romans came along and gave the town its name that it developed into a thriving settlement.

We tell you this not to provide you with a dry history lesson. Instead, the takeaway here is that Luni, and by extension the wines that Lunae Bosoni produces, are rooted in the deep history of the Greeks and Romans. These were the people who gave wine to the world, at least in the sense of developing an industry and treating the drink with reverence. For as little-known as Liguria may be as a wine region, the town of Luni is one in which wine has been a staple for over two millennia.

Knowing that, you will understand why the wines produced by companies from this region tend to carry so much weight with people in the know. The history of wines from this region extend back to the days of Pliny the Elder, who noted that Luni’s wines were amongst the best that Europe had to offer. 

When you learn of Liguria’s location, this fact may not come as so much of a surprise. If you were to search for Liguria on a map, you would find a thin strip of land that just so happens to be bordered by two major Italian wine regions – Tuscany and Piedmont. Again, we see another piece of the puzzle fall into place. While Liguria may not be as famous a name as those two regions, it is clearly in a position where it can take advantage of similar climates and even influences from two of Italy’s most famous winemaking areas.

It is here where a family of winemakers decided to set up shop.

In 1966, Paolo Bosoni inherited a patch of land from his family in Liguria. Always a passionate wine lover, he saw the deep potential that land had for developing amazing wines. Just a few short years later, he had thriving vineyards in place and started to produce wines. As time went on, Paolo and his wife had children who also entered into the family business.

And so, we see the development of Lunae Bosoni completed.

Lunae, named after the town and land where the winery sits. Bosoni for the family that has worked so hard to cultivate the grape and produce wines of stunning quality.

This mention of stunning quality brings us to the wine that we will profile today. The Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Albarola 2019 may well be the magnum opus of this wonderful family. It is certainly a wine of such quality that it’s capable of putting its home region on the map.

Let’s take a closer look.

The Review

A gorgeous wine that falls under the DOC Colli di Luni Albarola classification, the Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Albarola 2019 is remarkable from the moment you open the bottle. As you pour, you will be entranced by the straw yellow colouring that indicate this is a wine that has been aged to the correct level of maturity. At the same time, the wine can benefit from further ageing, with its potential extending for 10 years if you’d prefer to wait and see what it will develop into.

If you are to drink the wine today, the bouquet will stun you with its intensity. While the citrus notes may be par for the course for many Italian white wines, the Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Albarola 2019 complements these dominant notes with hints of wildflower and Mediterranean shrubs. These earthier notes help to ground the wines intensity a little, making the drinking experience even more pleasurable.

The wine continues to highlight its characteristics when you finally taste it. Full and fresh, the wine has impressive persistence in addition to offering a perfect representation of what the nose experienced. This is a wine that is refreshing and instantly enjoyable, making it perfect for those who want a stunning experience without having to deal with too much complexity.

The Xtrawine team enjoyed our time with this wine, giving it a rating of 87/100. And it’s available today for less than €10.