I have quite a few Swanndri hoodies that are somewhat similar to the Boreal. They are cozy and comfy and have a lot of utility, but there are a lot of things they are not.
The warmth/weight problem is pretty universal to (woven) wool garments, and I'm always reminded of this whenever someone comments on how warm my knee-length swannis look and I admit that in fact it isn't all that warm by itself. I tend to think of most woven wool garments as shells rather then insulation, they are certainly warmer then a windshell or a hardshell but I nearly always wear them with a fleece or wool sweater for the actual warmth.
I worked outside in various wool coats a bit in the PNW, and I liked many things about them but it was as much design as materials. The wides sleeves where easy to roll out of the way, the closed front and lack of pockets didn't snag or catch on things, and the long length was welcome when sitting on cold and wet equipment seats or reaching overhead. In the on-again-off-again mist/drizzle of the PNW woven wool was perfectly adequate, but in full rain it was hardly ideal. I found a softshell more practical a lot of days, but often missed the extra coverage of the long coats.

The chief advantage of wool garments that I found was simply a wider comfortable temperature range then many synthetics, when I wore my fleece/softshell layers I was much warmer for less weight (and all the other advantages of synthetics) but I found I had to be much more proactive on adding or removing layers throughout the day. With the swanni I would generally just roll my sleeves up or down and drive on.

I still wear a lot of wool but not so much when traveling out of a backpack, lots of other options just pack smaller, weigh less or offer more protection. Out of a car, on the job, around the yard or around town I will often choose wool for aesthetic, sentimental, or tactile reasons, but on a pure dollars and cents comparison they often lose out to other options.

Agreed. I have a Mackinaw as well but usually end up with the Woolrich Stag Shirt Jac bc it’s 20% nylon and just feels better. This morning I was deer hunting here in Virginia and it was 8 degrees. I had a Capilene base layer, fleece shirt, Patagonia down sweater and Woolrich Stag as the outer layer. My plan was to put the Mountain Serape on if I started to cool off after walking in. That’s exactly what happened. One the Serape was on I stayed warm for the rest of the morning. 

I could have used my Mountain hardwear Phantom down jacket but it’s way too noisy and fragile. That’s why I put the down sweater under the wool. This is where wool shines, it’s quiet and durable. Also, as you said it’s fairly fire resistant, too. 

As a side note, I am glad I tried a Boreal shirt. 

I have a blanket weight wool hooded pullover from G. Fred Asbell that cost about $90.  I just wore it at the HPG Winter Skills event and it worked out well for me.  Certainly heavier than a comparably warm synthetic top, but it is quiet, warm, and layered nicely under my Windcheater.  For the price, I think they are a good option.  As previously stated, wool has its limitations, but for some of my outings I do like it quite a bit.

https://asbellwool.com/products/olive-drab

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Hill People Gear Coureurs des Bois (Brand Ambassador). Victoria faveat paratam. De Oppresso Liber.

Regular army wool blankets were pretty rough.  The hospital blankets were made from some really nice-to-the-touch wool.  They had a medical cadusa symbol on them, instead of U S.  Wool and high-quality, long-fiber cotton work well in true cold (where it is always too cold to rain).  In true cold, that means fire somewhat often.  Both textiles are somewhat resistant to errant sparks.

thanks for the post, informative