2020 Derthona Timorasso, Colli Tortonesi DOC – Revived From Near Extinction!
Background on Timorasso
I was introduced to this wine a few of months back by a friend and SOMM Fran Cunniffe at a small tasting at Prima Vini Wine Shop in Dublin, California. Thoroughly enjoyed the wine and picked up two bottles awaiting the right food & wine pairing opportunity.
This wine comes from Piedmont region of Italy from the city of Tortona. The village is half way between Milan and Genoa. While Piedmont is renowned for the gorgeous red wines (Barbera, Dolcetto, etc.) it is also the home of Timorasso. This grape has been around since the Middle Ages but with the advent of phylloxera and the Second World War it was quickly disappearing. Additionally, this grape varietal almost went extinct due the finicky nature of the vines: double/triple buds at break, low yields and more desirable wines from the area. Many farmer’s wanted to replant with more well-known grape vines. Its survivability is credited to one man, Walter Massa a local farmer from Monleale a village in Piedmont who believed in the grape. In 1980’s it was almost extinct. By the 1990’s Walter other local producers had continued to plant the grapevines. Today over 20 wineries are producing Timorasso. It is key to the Colli Toronesi DOC. To be produced as a varietal from Colli Tortonesi region, it must constitute at least 85% of the Timorasso grape and the balance can be Moscato Bianco and Favorita (Vermentino).
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine has a unique texture and layers upon layers of panache! On the eyes, a straw light colored golden hue. On the nose, both floral and fruity notes waft into the senses. Classical Timorasso may have notes of acacia, Hawthorne, peach, honey and tropical fruits. This one from the Oddero family, provided wide reaching floral scents coupled with minerality. On the palate yellow apple was dominate. The uniqueness of this grape is the mouth filling and heavy body white wine. Soft tropical fruit was secondary but present. A generous finish of refreshing delight with well-balanced acidity and texture. This wine scored 91 points and sells for about $36/bottle. When aged, it is sometimes referred to as a “white Barolo” or “white wine for red wine drinkers”.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While being a “heavy-duty” white wine is still mild and meant to go with light and medium bodied fish. So last evening was the exact choice as Vernona18 had a special Petrale Sole Dore, with a light lemon sauce. The Petrale Sole was prepared perfectly! This Timorasso was a perfect match in complementing and not overwhelming the delicate fish. It was accompanied by rice pilaf and sautéed fresh vegetables.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Our “Friday Night Wine & Dine” group met on Wednesday as Verona18 provided live music by Greg Sutton to enjoy the evening dinner. We did manage to taste some other fine wines during the meal and performance and then capped off the evening with a port from Pasoport Wine Company.
Sláinte,
Michael
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