Late Modern history of Colli Tortonesi's (Piemonte, Italy) Timorasso variety

While the Early Modern history of the Timorasso variety was characterized by decline, despair, invisibility, and replacement, its Late Modern history saw a turnaround in fortunes, much of which, according to widely held views, was attributable to the efforts of Walter Massa. In this post I take a deeper look into the experiences of the variety in the period just before, during, and after, the last decade of the 20th century.

I have written previously on Massa's accomplishments, beginning with his initial 1987 vintage. But looking back at the Early Modern history, one cannot help but (i) note that Enio Ferretti had planted an organic Timorasso vineyard in the region in 1985 and (ii) wonder how much this had influenced Massa's decision to seek out grapes and vinify a wine from this variety.

Ferretti's initial harvest dropped in 1988, the same year he left the Valle Unite Cooperative. The results of the initial planting raised a number of questions about the project within the organization (Quiligotti):

• The position of the vineyard, and the soil, were not optimal for Tinmorasso
• It turns out that the vine gives its best performance when planted on poor soils on sunny, well-ventilated ridges (the latter serving as a natural protection against rot)
• There was uncertainty as to how best to work the vines
• Improper vineyard workings increased the potential for rot.

These problems were only corrected by a second planting in 1996.

Massa, convinced of the potential of a Timorasso wine by the results of his initial vintage, planted 1.4 ha of Timorasso vines in the Costa del Vento vineyard in 1990. He was followed shortly after by Ottavio Rube (one of the founders of Valle Unite), who planted his Timorasso vines in 1991. Mandirola planted its Lù delle Costa field to Timorasso in 1992.

It was also in 1992 that we saw the "first great recognition of Timorasso wine." Attilio Scienza, the renowned Professor of of Viticulture and Enology at the University of Milan, tasted a Massa Timorasso while out dining and was so impressed that he reached out to the winemaker in a telephone call. Subsequent meetings led to a collaboration on research and zoning paths (Quiligotti) with a focus on stainless steel vinification and aging of the wine.

In 1996 Massa and Franco Martinetti (the same Martinetti that was involved in the Timorassa grappa of 1985) "began to exchange some considerations  on this vine and both decided to give a decisive acceleration in favor of quality by experimenting with rigorous and effective viticulture and oenological techniques ..." The collaboration resulted in trials (at the Massa facility) wherein Timorassa grapes were vinified and aged in barriques and, eventually, a 1997 barrel-fermented and -aged wine being given the nomenclature Martin (Brozzoni).

According to Brozzoni, the Veronelli Guide began to follow the path of the two fermentation/aging regimes, using Massa's 1996 Colli Tortonesi Bianco Costa del Vento and Martinetti's 1997 Colli Tortonesi Bianco Martin as the starting points. Luigi immediately "fell in love" with the Martin and eventually awarded the 1999 edition the coveted Sun Award.

But Massa was not only interested in Timorasso for his own account. He began to proselytize to anyone that would listen. Daniele Ricci worked as his understudy and acolyte and learned everything that he could from Massa before going off and founding his own winery in Casca Vescovato. This 1.5-ha vineyard, named Vigna di Carlo, was planted in 1995. Andrea Mutti and Luigi Boveri also planted their Timorassos in 1995.

Elisa Semino, now of La Colombera, did her thesis on the Timorasso variety and, according to Walter, worked at his estate in 2000 while collecting data for her study. After graduation, Elisa and her dad were among the first five Colli Tortonesi wineries to heed Walter's Timorasso call.

Walter went on to mentor a large number of the small farmers in the region who saw his success and wanted to replicate it in their environments. They formed an association organized around Massa's production principles and met regularly to compare notes and taste each other's wines. 

The Late Modern history of Timorasso is summarized below as a part of a larger depiction of the modern history of the variety.

The Late Modern production regime, based on the Massa process, is as follows:

• Hand-harvesting
• Maceration on the skins 
• Soft pressing
• Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks (20 - 25ºC)
• Spontaneous malolactic fermentation after temperature reduced to 10 - 18ºC
• Wine aged in stainless steel tanks for one year (with batonnage)
• Light filtration prior to bottling
• Minimum 6 months bottle aging.

I will address the Post-Modern history of the variety in a subsequent post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Early Modern history of Colli Tortonesi's (Piemonte, Italy) Timorasso variety

The broad outlines of the rebirth of the Timorasso variety -- and Walter Masa's role in that saga -- are known and accepted. 

But is that all there is? Not that it is not enough, but:

• What was the state of affairs prior to Massa's "intervention"?
• Were other individuals involved in the nurture and/or pursuit, either directly or indirectly, of the variety during the Massa phase?

I will attempt to address these questions in two separate posts, beginning here.

According to Gigi Brozzoni (Piedmont: Golden Wines/3, Veronelli Guide, Vini d'Oro, 11/19/20), up until 1985, the Timorasso variety was "completely unknown to most' even though it was "well described in the large ampelographic collection published in the 1960s by the then Ministry of Agriculture ..." The ministry recommended that Timorasso be used to add flavor and structure to some "anemic" varieties growing in the region.

Both Kerin O'Keefe (Why You Should be Drinking Timorasso, winemag.com, 2/8/16) and Brozzoni point to the use of Timorasso as a table grape. The variety had a good reputation in the peasant world because "it provided thick-skinned grapes that could be eaten fresh" or it could be dried until Christmas "when the sugary berries cheered up the holidays" (Brozzoni).

In its role as a wine grape, Timorasso was not as well regarded. From the winemaker's perspective, it was a difficult variety to farm, with returns incommensurate to the effort expended.

From the consumer's perspective, the variety was unknown. In Massa's conversation with O'Keefe, he mentioned that his family added Timorasso to Cortese to make a white wine which was sold in demi-johns to wine merchants in other parts of Piemonte and Oltrepo Pavese. In an interview with Oscar Farinetti (Stories of Courage, Mondadori, Milan, 2013), Massa stipulates that Timorasso from Colli Tortonesi was vinified with other white grapes to produce a generic white wine which was sold in bulk to merchants and producers in Asti, Stradella, and Milan, among others. Thus, Timorasso was consumed within the context of other varieties, in denominations outside of its native home, and without the ken of the end consumer (Gianfranco Quiligotti, Il Timorasso e La Luna, tortonaggi.it, 7/21/16).

Vineyard cultivation in Colli Tortonesi declined continually during the 20th century, going from 8000 ha at its beginning to 2000 ha at its conclusion. Vinegrowing in the 80s and 90s suffered due to a general abandonment of: (i) the countryside, (ii) agriculture, and (iii) the vineyard (Quiligotti). Timorasso suffered within the context of the foregoing but, as mentioned previously, this was compounded by problems unique to the variety.

Enio Ferretti planted his first Timorasso vines (at what is now La Morella) in 1985 with cuttings from the vineyard of a friend in Sarezzano. The cuttings were grafted in Aqui Terme by the Ponte brothers. This was the first organically farmed property in the region and it has retained that farming practice for its vineyards up to this date.

Brozzoni pegs the first meaningful commercial mention of the variety as a standalone occurring in 1985; and in the context of a grappa. Antonello Bocchino, a Canelli-based grappa producer, in response to the single-grape grappas of the Friulian Giannola Nonino, invented a number of Piemonte single-grape grappas. Included among this lot was one called Timuasa, obtained from Timorasso pomace from the Tortona area.

This pomace had apparently been secured for Bocchino by Franco Martinetti (more about him in a later post) and she, in turn, gave the finished product to him. He, after further refinement, sold it under a generic name.

The first vintage of a Massa Timorasso would come to fruition two years after this grappa event, signaling the initiation of a period which I will refer to as the Late Modern history of the Timorasso variety. The Early Modern history of the variety is summarized in the following chart.

I will treat the Late Modern history in a subsequent post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Azienda Agricola Mandirola Enrico (Casasco, Colli Tortonesi): A historic Timorasso producer

Walter Massa is widely credited with rescuing the Timorasso variety from extinction while Mandirola Vini, a Casasco-based winery, is in the corner waving “Over here!!! Over here!! According to a post on the estate's Instagram page (May 21, 2021), "The Mandirola family has been growing this amazing indigenous grape for more than 50 years." That is to say, pre, during, and post the Massa revival; and points to origin-plantings in the plots acquired in 1913, or in the period between 1960 and 1980. 

Post-Massa-revival plantings were made in the Lù della Costa field (a later acquisition) in 1992, with holdings of the variety rounded out with the 2010s purchase of Tantéi, a historic Timorasso vineyard. The vines herein are 80+ years of age.

This is in no way gainsaying Massa's efforts at refining the production processes and persistence in marketing the wines. Rather, it is to say that the Mandirola family has (i) demonstrated experience with this variety and (ii) the most continuous through-line with this variety of any of the producers that I have encountered to date. The family currently farms 30 ha, of which 11 are dedicated to vineyards, 11 is arable land, 2 are planted to fruit trees, and 6 are wooded.

According to company literature, the vineyards "create a single body that covers the right side of the hilly ridge that connects Casasco to Magrassi." These southwest-facing vineyards reside on calcareous clay soils at elevations ranging between 300 and 350 m. Average vine age is 40 years with the younger vines trained Guyot and the older ones spurred cordon. Vine density averages 4000/ha.

The farming practices employed highlight the company's commitment to conservation, sustainability, and the production of high-quality grapes:

• The vineyards are planted transversal to the line of the maximum hillside slope in order to minimize rainwater-runoff erosion
• Production levels are kept at the low end of the scale (6000 kg/ha)
• Fertilizers and pesticides employed at the estate adhere to the EU standards
• Copper and sulphur are the only treatments utilized
• Grass grown between rows for habitat prservation
• Winter and summer prunings aimed to "better balance the vegetation of the vine by improving its productivity in terms of quality."

The estate produces two Timorasso wines --  Tantéi and Derthona -- from home-grown fruit. The grapes are hand-harvested into small baskets and then transported to the cellar for processing. There is no maceration. The grapes are soft-pressed and racked into cement tanks for fermentation with selected yeasts. and aging. There is no malolactic fermentation. Sulphites -- amounting to between 50 and 60 mg/l -- are added at the beginning and end of fermentation. The wine is aged on the lees for 12 months and the Tantéi sees a brief residence in used wooden and oaken barrels prior to bottling. The Derthona is aged for 3 - 4 months in bottle, the Tantéi 6 - 8 months. No clarifiers are used in the processing and filtration is limited "in order to preserve the peculiarities of the wine."

I tasted the 2018 vintage of the former and the 2019 vintage of the latter.

The 2018 Timorassi Tantéi is a 100% Timorasso with grapes from the historic vineyard of the same name. I tasted this wine on the first day and found it to be uncharacteristic of a Timorasso. I did not find the sapidity, acidity, structure, and complexity on the nose to which I had become accustomed. It also seemed relatively light of body. I tasted the wine on the following day, however, and it was markedly different. It was tastier, was fuller bodied, and salinity was emergent. Based on its performance on the second day, I would suggest holding this wine for a number of years before opening.

The 2019 Timorasso Derthona is a 100% Timorasso with grapes drawn from non-Tantèi vineyards. 

This was a more traditional Timorasso wine. White flowers, salinity, green herbs, spice, licorice, sweet white fruit, and hydrocarbon on the nose. Bright acidity, citrus, and spice on the palate. Balanced, with a lengthy finish.

An interesting contrast of styles.  

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Gian Paolo Repetto: Managing the Timorasso forest (the Consorzio) and a tree (Vigneti Repetto (Colli Tortonesi, Piemonte))

Gian Paolo Repetto has regularly risen to the top of his chosen fields but has also managed to retain the humility and considerations of his origins. He was born on a farm in Colli Tortonesi and went on to found an engineering company where he worked for 30 years before returning and expanding the family farm to today's Vigneti Repetto, one of the most respected wine estates in the region. 

Gian Paolo Repetto and his wife Marina

But Gian Paolo did not leave his leadership, management, motivational, planning, and organizational skills behind in the corporate boardroom. Rather, he leveraged those skills in growing his business and brought them to bear in his role as the President of the regional Consorzio. I had the pleasure of speaking with Gian Paolo recently on an InstagramLive Chat about the present and future of his estate and the Timorasso variety.

Gian Paolo talks about his return to Colli Tortonesi as coming back home. His love for the area is multi-faceted:

• In his view, Colli Tortonesi is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy
• The area's future is bright
• The region is populated by "real" people
• It is not so business-oriented that human values are forgotten/ignored
• The area produces two of his favorite wines: Barbera and Timorasso.

Gian Paolo and Marina became serious about the enterprise in 2015. Prior to that they had taken a number of experimental steps.

According to Gian Paolo, Colli Tortonesi lies between Serravalle Scriva and Tortona and this translates to Tortonian soils in the north, Serravalian soils in the south, and Sant'Agata fossil marls in the middle (see here for my graphical illustration of this concept). The northern part of the zone has more clay, partially calcareous, partially less. This composition lends itself to wines with great structure. The Sant'Agata Fossili soils are rich in limestone and tend to produce mineral, sapid wines. The south has the highest elevations and young, rocky soils. The Timorasso wines from this zone are fine and elegant.

In Gian Paolo's estimation, global warming has been beneficial to Timorasso. Historically it had been difficult to grow the variety because of botrytis and rot prior to harvest. With global warming, the variety is able to attain full ripeness earlier and harvest occurs in the warmer mid-September period.

This combination of soils and early ripening makes Colli Tortonesi the best Piemontese terroir for exploitation of the variety. Monferrato, for example, is much more open and its soil and microclimate differs from that of Colli Tortonesi. Barolo and Barbaresco soils are similar to the soils in the north of Colli Tortonesi but the latter is warmer. 

In response to a question regarding the pros and cons of Timorasso, Gian Paolo said that the only pro was the possibility of producing a great wine. That has to be balanced against a number of negatives:

• It is a difficult variety to grow
• Material sticks to the equipment during pruning and have to be constantly cleaned off
• Double and triple buds at bud break; these have to be cleaned out manually
• The short distance between buds are a disease risk
• Sunburn is an ever-present risk.

A grower with both Timorasso and Cortese in his/her vineyard will put three times more work in the vineyard for the former. Growers deserted Timorasso in the past because the market did not reward them for the effort expended. Consumers have now corrected this problem and are buying the wine at a price that is more reflective of its true production cost.

Vigneti Repetto

The estate sources its grapes from the mix of owned and rented vineyards shown in the map below.

Vigneti Repetto grape sources

The owned vineyards are planted to 22 parcels which are farmed and (mostly) vinified separately. Vineyards are planted at altitudes ranging between 240 and 350 m, standard altitudes, according to Gian Paolo, for vine planting in the region. The vines are trained single-Guyot and are pruned using the Guyot-Poussard system (with an eye on getting ahead of any potential esca problem).

The vineyards are farmed sustainably. A portion of the farm is certified organic and the entire farm will be so designated in the future. Gian Poalo sees Europe's new plan for sustainable farming as the best way forward as it is really important to reduce the incidence of chemicals in the vineyard.

Nine hectares from the owned vineyards are dedicated to Timorasso plantings (some Timorasso is planted in the rented vineyards as well). The clay-rich soils provide a more structured, less mineral, less elegant wine while the limestone soil provides sapidity and hydrocarbon notes.

The Timorasso scions are massal selections secured from the Santa Maria nursery (No clones were available when they began planting.). The rootstocks utilized are Kober, 157.11, and Paulsen (on the hilltops, where the soils are thinner).

The Timorasso parcels are planted, vinified and aged separately. The harvest decision is based on tasting plus attainment of target levels of three parameters: sugar, pH, and global acidity. Weather is, of course, an overriding concern.

Individual parcels are harvested into small boxes and taken directly to the cellar. If the stems are green, the bunches are destemmed. If they are sufficiently ripe, the grapes are crushed before pressing. Some sulfites are added after harvest; when sulfites added prior to bottling is included, somewhere between 40 and 80 g of sulfur is added during the production process.

The estate produces three Timorasso wines (shown below). The Piccolo Derthona is a new wine for the estate.

Gian Paolo Repetto has described his Piccolo Derthona as “an entry level wine made from young vines and/or lower quality grapes. This wine has less structure, less body, and a lower price point than the Derthona. It exhibits freshness and is suitable for a wine bar.”

The Origo is complex, with a lot of tertiary aromas while the Piccolo Derthona is an entry level wine made from young vines and/or lower quality grapes. This wine has less structure, less body, and a lower price point than the Derthona. It exhibits freshness and is suitable for a wine bar.

I tasted the 2019 version of the wine and found saline green olive, a hint of sweet white fruit, and spice on the nose. It was very broad on the palate (wide open, I would say) with underripe citrus fruit and hints of salinity. No hint of the structure that is notable for this variety. The heat on the chest stands in contrast to the 12.5% stated alcohol on the label. Mid-weight, with average length.

Derthona Appellation

The Consorzio has submitted an application to the appropriate authorities for the designation of a Derthona sub-appellation within the Colli Tortonesi DOC covering the production of Timorasso vines within its borders. While Derthona is currently used on the labels of some producers, it is not an official designation. Further, it is a registered trademark of Walter Massa, who has encouraged its widespread adoption and use. The submittal covers a Riserva (released a minimm of 2.5 years after harvest), a Derthona, and a Piccolo Derthona (both requiring a minimum of 1 year aging). The difference between a Derthona and a Piccolo Derthona will be based on quality parameters as well as tasting panel assessments.

Some of the key quality elements of the upcoming appellation will be the designation of minimum altitudes in each commune as well as minimum alcohol levels for each wine type.

The Future

For Vigneti Repetto, they are currently building a new winery in the middle of the vineyard to replace the current structure which is 15 km away. It is expected that this cellar wil be ready for the upcoming vintage.

For the region, the outlook is bright. Their is huge interest in the region and its wines. Even with all the recent dislocation in the world, they were able to sell all the Derthona they produced. And it is not only the consumer interest that is encouraging; a number of big-name Barolo players have begun producing Timorasso wines and that has been a "blessing" in that it has raised the profile of the Colli Tortonesi region.

Colli Tortonesi is a small area but it is growing. They have to manage that growth and balance the quality risk versus growth rate. I asked Gian Paolo about any quality risks associated with grapes being trucked out of the area for processing. He indicated that those grapes could only be processed in Piemonte and the use of refrigerated trucks would mitigate against significant quality impacts (I did not point out the irony of him moving his cellar into the vineyards because 15 km was too far away while they allowed the grapes to be trucked many kilometers away.). 

Gian Paolo indicated that processing location was something under active discussion at the Consorzio and that they may arrive at a scheme wherein they grandfather the status quo but limit new entrants to processing their grapes within the Colli Tortonesi boundary in order to claim the appellation label.

It is important to maintain interest in the appellation, says Gian Paolo, but it is also important to balance that with maintenance of quality.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Cantine Volpi (Colli Tortonesi, Piemonte) and Timorasso wine production

At its core, Colli Tortonesi's Cantine Volpi is committed to sustainability and community, qualities brought into focus by a recent locally beneficial initiative. While conducting background research for my conversation with Marco Volpi -- the 5th generation in the family business -- I came across an article in the local paper lauding the company for its contributions in cleaning up a local park. When I queried Marco about this, he indicated that the winery had committed its entire staff (owners, managers, workers) to a full-day-cleanup of this 10-ha park, an effort which resulted in the removal of 550 empty beer bottles and sundry other detritus and a cleaner, more welcoming environment for locals. Community and sustainability.

As I alluded to in the foregoing, Marco was my guest on an InstagramLive chat exploring Cantine Volpi's history, operations, and experience with, and production of, the Timorasso variety. Marco is the first to tell you that he is not yet a technical expert -- having only returned to the family business in December of 2019 after a 4-year stint (was initially supposed to be four months but he grew to like his allotment of 28 free beers per month) with the Heineken brewing company -- but he acquitted himself admirably, showing especial strength in family history, markets, and Timorasso potential.

The Volpi family has been producing wine in the Tortona hills since 1914 and while Cantina Volpi is, in the scheme of things, a small-to-medium-sized business, it is a large enterprise in the region. It produces region-typical wines (Barbera, Timorasso, Cortese) from a mix of owned and rented vineyards and purchased fruit (see below).

Zerba (Source:cantinevolpi.it)

The La Zerba holding was acquired in 2003, the culmination of a generations-long pursuit initiated by Marco's grandfather and continued by his father. It is farmed organically, with the company declaring its intent in 2011 and gaining certification of the Barbera in 2015 and the Timorasso in 2018. The current 2 ha of Timorasso will be supplemented by an additional 3 ha planned for 2022.

Organic farming, according to Marco, is not common in Colli Tortonesi due to the time and cost expenses. Cantine Volpi has been lucky in that recent summers have been great. If they encounter summers such as the one in 2014 - characterized by significant rainfall -- organic farming may be problematic. In 2014, even though practicing conventional agriculture, Cantine Volpi did not produce a Timorasso vintage. The major vine diseases in the area are downy mildew and powdery mildew.

As regards the soils, Marco sees them as similar across the region but differences can still be encountered in individual vineyards. For example, at La Zerba, you will encounter a Barbera zone, then a Timorasso zone, then another Barbera zone, based on varying soil characteristics. Timorasso soils are generally indicated by the presence of large white rocks in the marl and clay. Red and dark colored soils are not deemed suitable for Timorasso vines.

Thirty years ago Timorasso plantings ranged between 3 and 5 ha for the entire region. The variety had experienced a steady decline over the preceding century due to (i) the amount of work required in the vineyard, (ii) its susceptibility to illness, and (iii) its relatively low yield.

For the best results, the grape has to be harvested at optimal ripeness but care has to be exercised in this pursuit as it is susceptible to sunburn. Leaves have to be removed to provide access to sunlight but should not be the leaves that provide direct shade from the sun. 

Timorasso produces a structured, mineral, aged wine. If picked optimally it will produce alcohol levels ranging between 13 and 16%. The wine evolves further in the bottle with increasing levels of a honeyed character.

Cantine Volpi has conducted a number of experiments with the variety over the years and has come to the conclusion that it is best suited to a simple white wine vinification; that is, no maceration, no malolactic fermentation, no racking. The Cantine Volpi "recipe" for Timorasso production is illustrated in the chart below.

According to Marco, the Volpi Timorasso tends to be fresher than its compatriots due to a lower alcohol level -- 13.5% -- which translates to easier drinkability.

Ninety percent of the company's production is sold into export markets, the heterogeneity of which, according to Marco, minimized the Covid impact on the company.

Non-Volpi Timorasso producers that meet with Marco's approval include La Colombera, Pomodolce, and Vigneti Repetto. He also likes Cantina Sociale because it is " a fundamental element in the system."

In terms of the future, Marco sees Colli Tortonesi as being at a very delicate phase, a phase at which they should be encouraging investment and discouraging speculation. He feels that they should be attracting capital and he is not necessarily on board with allowing "foreign" producers to buy grapes and process them outside the region and still get to affix the DOC label to their wines. He is supportive of those who come in and buy vines and gives a nod of approval to the Barolo producers in this regard. Those who come into the region and invest are making a positive contribution and should be encouraged.

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This conversation was very important in providing a large-producer-view of Timorasso production in the region, the advantages of market access that is currently not available to the smaller producers (a full treatment of the Cantine Volpi markets and marketing can be found on the video of our conversation (@wineorl on Instagram)), and some of the potential dangers inherent in organic certification.

The Cantine Volpi Timorasso production "recipe" is by no means the accepted approach in the region. As I noted in a previous post, Timorasso producers, on avearge, macerate their wines for 44 hours prior to alcoholic fermentation. I have not yet run the numbers on malolactic fermentation and racking.

Finally, it was interesting to note the daylight between Cantine Volpi and the Consorzio in the determination as to who gets to label their wines Colli Tortonesi DOC.

An entertaining and informative discussion.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Morasso: The Timorasso wine from Cascina Montagnola (Viguzzolo, Colli Tortonesi DOC)

Morasso is the name of the Timorasso grape in the local Tortonesi Hills dialect. Now that could be a fond dimunitive or an expression of the farmers' feelings about planting this notoriously difficult-to-manage variety. Anyway, it is also the name of Cascina Montagnola's Timorasso wine, a wine that definitely does not embody the latter characterization.

Bruno Cavi and his wife Donatella Gianotti ran a very successful insurance biusiness in Milan and would venture out of the city on holiday from time to time. One such venture entailed tramping in the hills of Viguzzolo where they happened upon, and fell in love with, the property that is now Cascina Montagnola. They purchased the property in 1988.

Cascina Montagnola commune of residence indicated by
black encirclement structure 

They made their first wine in 1988 from grapes grown on the 1 ha of vines that was planted to Barbera Rodeo. Some of those vines are still in service today and are over 70 years old.

The first Timorasso vines were planted in 2003 and the first vintage of Morasso introduced onto the market in 2006. There was a second planting of Timorasso vines in 2018.

The estate is currently managed by Donatella (Bruno, unfortunately, passed on in 2020) and is now 20 ha in size, of which vineyards amount to 8 ha (up from the initial 1 ha). The farm is a polyculture with 8 ha devoted to cereals and greens, 2 ha to parks, and 4 ha to vegetable gardens and fruit trees (plus buildings and streets).

The vineyard holdings are distributed thusly: 2.5 ha for Timorasso; 1.2 ha for Barbera; 1.2 ha for Cortese; 0.7 ha for Chardonnay; 0.6 ha for Sauvignon; 0.5 ha to Merlot; and 0.5 ha to Croatina. The vineyards are sited on a gentle slope of calcareous-clay soils with a south-south-west orientation and at elevations ranging between 150 and 160 m.

The vines are farmed sustainably with practices that include: adhering to products that meet organic principles; eschewing herbicides; and clearing vine roots manually and with farm equipment (rather than using chemicals).

Grapes are harvested manually and transported to the cellar where they are gently pressed and, after 24 - 48 hours, racked. If conditions are humid (rarely), 5 - 7 grams of sulfur are added. There is no skin contact.

The must is fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at 18℃ for approximately 25 days. There is no malolactic fermentation. The wine is then poured into steel aging tanks where they reside on the lees until after the following years harvest. The wine is racked a number of times during this aging period.

Prior to bottling, 8 - 10 grams of sulfur are added to the wine. The wines age in bottle until they exhibit characteristic features. As an example of the length of aging, the winery is now selling its 2017 vintage of its Timorasso wine.

Tasting Morasso

Thanks to the efforts of Anna Savino (Barolo Wine Club) I was able to get my hands on a bottle of the 2016 vintage of this wine.

Light gold color. Viscuous in the glass.

Sage on the nose at first blush. Elevated, high-toned, and elegant, initially. Sea spray and lemon grass. Weighty on the palate, with spice, acidity, minerality, salt, lime, and a bitter character, all preceding a cupric finish.

This is a complex wine. With a little time, a slatey, rocky minerality emerges, along with a furriness reminiscent of a tannin texture. The palate is fully cleansed with each new taste. 

With further residence, petrol, lychee, phenolic, saline, menthol, and spice notes along with a saline-acid-pine mix on the palate. Broader on the palate with time.

An excellent wine.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Reis Derthona: On the trail of a six-person, non-native, Timorasso startup

They have known each other since high school (and, for two of them, since they were five years old). They have lived and studied together in Turin and are familiar with each others strengths and quirks. They have grown up around, and fully expected to be involved in, the production of wines made from Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. They all (with one exception) have day jobs at Langhe or Monferrato wineries and share a passion for the wines of their respective regions. 

They decided to do a project as a group and wanted it to be something challenging. Given cost and availability constraints, it most likely could not be in Barolo. 

It was within this context that the six friends decided to embark on a venture to make a wine (white) from an unfamiliar grape (Timorasso) in an unfamiliar region (Colli Tortonesi). Thus was the Reis Derthona Timorasso born.

The Timorasso venture is a testament to the friendship as well as the potential of the Timorasso from Colli Tortonesi. The friends are:

• Simone Revello -- third generation of Barolo producer Revello Fratelli
• Francesco Bianco -- Bovio
• Luca Monti - Brovia
• Luca Amerio -- Scarpa
• Matteo Laiolo -- Vinchio-Vaglio Serra
• Enrico Pezzuto -- currently finishing up a Masters in Enology.

Anna Savino (Proprietor, Barolo Wine Club) and I sat with Simone, Francesco, and Luca Monti for an InstagramLive Chat (on Wednesday past) to gain their perspective on the challenges and decisioning associated with launching a startup wine project under the conditions described above.

Being unfamiliar with the variety, the team had a lot to learn; and they had to learn fast. They had to travel to the region to meet with, and pick the brains of, some of the producers in the region. Further, they had to taste as many of the wines as they could as soon as they could. They were connected with Alessandro Davico of Pomodolce by a Tortonesi Hills resident who worked in the La Morra area and they hightailed it down to the region to meet him. They were well received.

Alessandro hosted them at his restaurant and invited Walter Massa to join them to provide advice and direction. The team was in awe. According to Simone, this was akin to them, as unknowns, visiting Langhe for the first time and having Angelo Gaja or Roberto Conterno brought in to give them advice. 

They had the opportunity to taste some of the old wines from Massa (Costa del Vento) and Pomodolce and those convinced them to go with a Timorasso wine as their first venture.

The easiest, least expensive way to launch the project was to purchase fruit. To that end they began a search for a young (more relatable) farmer who would understand their project. Alessandrio assisted in the search and they eventually settled on a 35-year-old farmer whose core business was fruit, rather than Timorasso, and who understood their objectives.

During the growing season for the initial vintage, they visited the farm almost every day -- to the consternation of family and friends -- because they wanted to see everything and learn everything. There is a lot to learn because the variety is difficult to work both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Harvest was complicated and challenging but, luckily, they had the assistance of Alessandrio. They are proud of how things went.

As regards the Timorasso growing environment, there is a constant wind in Colli Tortonesi, a marked departure from the Langhe. Another key difference is the relatively small number of vineyards on the slopes and the range of agricultural products in evidence (Seeing the slopes bereft of vineyards inspired them to visualize the potential for growth in the region and a place for them therein.). What is similar is the presence of Tortonian and Serravalian soils in both regions (According to Simone, structure in the Langhe and Colli Tortonesi wines are directly related to the soils in which the grapes are grown.). Simone sees a greater opportunity for organic farming in Colli Tortonesi due to lower incidences of downy mildew and odium. Ventilation is very important as the grape is susceptible to rot. As such, spacing is managed overall and some leaves were removed weeks prior to the harvest.

The grapes for the first vintage were sourced as shown in the chart below.

In constructing their wine, the team wanted to (i) respect the traditions of the area and (ii) reflect their learnings. The wines that they had tasted during their evaluation of the area were older and, as such, always open. They wanted to make a wine that was balanced in terms of body and acidity. Towards that end, they followed the suggestions of Massa and Davico. The grapes were hand-harvested and macerated for 12 hours in stainless steel tanks. The must was then soft-pressed and aged in tanks on the lees. Batonnage was applied based on taste-determined necessity.

At this point in the chat we turned to actually tasting the initial vintage of the wine, the 2019 Reis Derthona Colli Tortonesi Timorasso. Simone saw it as complex on the nose, with yeast and floral notes, and having a full, round mouthfeel, with abundant acidity, minerality, and salinity. In addition, I noted salinity, savoriness, sweet white fruit, green herbs, intense spice, and mint on the nose. It was broad-based and approachable on the palate, with salinity, umami, citrus, and minerality fronting a textured, lengthy finish.

One of the striking aspects of this wine is the label, designed and painted by Luca Monti, an artist in his own right. According to Luca, the label represents "the relationship between the roots and the other elements that we find in the vineyard. The black element represents the roots, the blue one the water, the green one the leaves and the grass, and the yellow one the sun. I wanted to try to make a label in a different style, an abstract style that I had never tried before. This effort matched with our project in that we were doing something that we had never tried before."

The team sees Timorasso pricing as still very affordable. Simone reflected that it is reminiscent of the way things were in the Langhe in the 1990s in terms of price/quality ratio. 

In terms of the future of the region, the team sees Timorasso remaining an artisanal wine. They are currently members of the Consorzio.

Their 2020 vintage is in the works. Due to the Covid pandemic, they visited the farm much less than for the 2019 vintage but they have also become more trusting of the farmer.

This is a great team of guys and you can only admire their inventiveness, industriousness, courage, and resolve. This was a very good initial vintage, something that gives the drinker a reason to keep coming back. I think we will continue to hear from these guys, in this region, for a while.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Rocks and soils of Timorasso's Colli Tortonesi DOC

I have previously treated the geology of Colli Tortonesi DOC but, while the treatment was comprehensive, the final product was unconsolidated. I address that shortcoming in this post.

The Villalvernia-Varzi Line is a key feature of the regional geology. It is an east-striking, slightly dipping fault zone which separates the sedimentary structures of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin to its south of from the Epiligurian Unit sediments in the wedge-top basin to its north. The role that this line has played is evidenced in the two charts following which show the comparative parent-rock geology. The Line is represented by the Antognola Formation in both of the charts.

In the charts below, we see evidence of at least four tectonic events south of the line and no equivalent activity in the north.

The chart immediately following shows a lack of alignment in sediment deposition within the two basins except for Sant'Agata Marl in the middle of the Late Miocene and no evidence of deposition in the Epiligurian Units post that phase. It is unclear as to whether that lack of deposits post the Sant'Agata phase was due to erosion in the Epiligurian column or an early uplift.

Screen shot from Festa, et al., 
Geological Map of the Villalvernia-Varzi Line

As shown in the chart below, the parent rocks have eroded down to primarily limestone, clays and marls. 

Descriptions of these soil types can be found on my soils page but I have also used the wein+ glossary to construct the table shown below.

Table 1. Soil types described in Colli Tortonesi (Descriptions curated from Wein+)

Soil Type	Description
Limestone	Rocks with a dominant proportion of calcium carbonate and smaller proportions of magnesium carbonate Widespread asa light grey or yellowish mineral and sedimentary rock Formed as sedimentary rock in the sea by deposition of calcareous shells and skeletons of small marine animals and as lake sediment Iron poorly available to plants in calcareous soils Usually yield wines with good acidity; particularly well-suited to white wine varieties Appreciated in cooler wine growing areas but require lime-tolerant rootstocks
Chalk	White, soft, fine-grained limestone that breaks down into a white powder Often contains flint Good water drainage due to its great porosity Soil easily penetrable by vine roots
Clay	A mixture of sand, silt, and clay Depending on the ratio, distinction made between sandy, silty, or clayey loam Colored yellow=brown by iron compounds Usually already decalcified Produces full=bodied, powerful wines
Marl	Grey or yellowish sedimentary rock of about half clay and half limestone Formed where clay particles were deposited on the fossil seabed with simultaneous lime precipitation Fertile, heavy soils with high pH values
Sand	Weathering products of hard rocks Grain size between 63 micrometers and 2 millimeters High proportions of quartz and feldspar Water-permeable, dry, and often infertile Produces fragrant, low-acid wines
Lime Tuff	Deposition of lime with air inclusions Porous structure caused by swelling mosses on whose plant  bodies lime precipitates Mosses eventually calcify and die, while new mosses are already growing above them

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Prevalence and effects of skin contact in Timorasso wine production

As shown in the table below, a significant number of Timorasso producers macerate the must on the skins prior to alcoholic fermentation. Why are they doing so? and why is the Timorasso cultivar a prime candidate for participation in such an activity?

Table 1. Instances of Maceration on skins: Selected Timorasso producers

Producer	Wine	Maceration Period (Hours)
Massa	Piccolo Derthona’ Timorasso	N/A
	Timorasso ‘Derthona’	48 - 60
	Timorasso Cru ‘Costa del Vento’	60
	Timorasso Cru ‘Montecitorio’	60
	Timorasso Cru ‘Sterpi’	60
La Colombera	Derthona	3
	Il Montino	3
Franco M. Martinetti	Martin	36
Ricci	Derthona	72
	San Leto	72
Teralba	Derthona	48 - 72
	Stato	72
Morgassi Superior di Gavi	Timograsso	12
Cascina Gentile	Derthona	24
i Carpini	Ruggiada del Mattino	48
	Brezza d’Estate	48
Massimo Pastura	Timian	16 - 18
Cantina Botazzi	Italo	N/A
	Monterosso	N/A

Based on the figures above, Timorasso producers macerate their grapes for an average of 44 hours prior to alcoholic fermentation. In the case of Massa, the cold maceration is carried out in cement containers, after which the must is transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Massa is the only producer whom I could identify as also including stems in the maceration.

Skin-Contact Whites

Skin-contact white wines are recognized by their residence on the early part of the orange color spectrum, their earthy flavors, and enhanced mouthfeel. These characteristics are the result of macerating the skin of crushed and de-stemmed white grapes in their own juice (i) prior to pressing and (ii) under controlled time and temperature conditions (The procedure is generally carried out under cool conditions in order to limit the growth of spoilage organisms.). Skin-contact white wines are macerated for hours while skin-fermented whites are macerated for weeks to months. Further, skin contact is a pre-fermentation process while its compatriot extends beyond that to fermentation and, in many cases, maturation.

The berry skin consists of an outer layer with a wax-like coating (cuticle) and 6 to 10 layers of thick-walled cells (hypodermis) which accumulate phenolic compounds in fairly high concentrations as the berry matures (Dharmadhikari, McGlynn). The main components of the skin are phenols, aromatic substances, potassium, and other minerals.

Maceration refers to the release of constituents from the pomace following crushing and is facilitated by "the liberation and activation of hydrolytic enzymes from crushed cells." Substances extracted include: aromatic compounds, aromatic precursors, phenols and polyphenols, unsaturated lipids, nitrogen, and potassium. At high enough levels, these extractives will produce earthy flavors and enhanced mouthfeel in the wines and will contribute positively to the fermentation processes. The best results have historically been obtained from fully ripe, aromatic grape varieties such as Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Phenols
Skin contact increases the amount of hydroxycinnamates, gallic acids, and flavonoids in the wine. Flavonoids increase slightly with contact time but strongly with temperature. These compounds are of concern because they contribute to bitterness and astringency and also serve as substrates for oxidation in white wines. While there are elevated levels of astringency in skin-contact white wines, they are nowhere near as high as in red wines. First, even though tannin is extracted from the skin of the white grape, the lack of anthocyanins means that only tannin-tannin bonds are formed, a combination that is less soluble in alcohol. Second, during fermentation, most of the tannin will precipitate out, thus limiting its ability to negatively impact the wine's sensory characteristics.

Aromatic Substances
Aromatic substances are located in the skin and layers of cells immediately below it. Examples of these compounds include (Dharmadhikari):

• 2-methoxy-3-isobutyl pyrazine -- imparts bell pepper odors to Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc
• 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol -- spicy, clove-like, and medicinal odors in some Gewurtztraminers
• Terpenes -- can be found in Muscats and Rieslings.

Fermentation Benefits
While winemakers do not pursue skin-contact because of the benefits that it provides to the fermentation process, they gladly accept what is offered. Maceration (Jackson):

• Improves juice fermentability and enhances yeast viability through its release of particulate matter, lipids, and soluble nitrogen compounds into the juice
• Particulate matter provides surfaces for yeast and bacterial growth, adsorption of nutrients, the binding of toxic C10 and C12 carboxylic fatty acids, and the escape of CO₂
• Improves the production of extra-cellular mannoproteins formed during alcoholic fermentation
• When combined with reduced concentrations of carboxylic acid, facilitates malolactic fermentation by Oenococcus oeni.

The Timorasso Case
Writing in openingabottle.com, Kevin Day characterizes the Timorasso variety thusly: "Timorasso has a rich phenolic character, meaning the natural phenols and polyphenols in the grape yield a lot of aromas, flavors, textures, and characters." In other words, these factors, when coupled with the variety's thick skin, renders Timorasso an ideal candidate for skin contact.

Of the wines I have tasted to date, the one with the most evidence of skin contact was the Cascina Gentile, with its color, tangerine aromas, tannins, spice, and texture attesting to its residence. There is a little bit of a curve ball in this case as the producer ages 1/3 of the production in untoasted French oak barriques of unknown age.

The La Colombera is only exposed to its skins for 3 hours but the color, phenolics, and spice are indicators of this experience. 

I will continue to update this post as I tatse additional skin-contact Timorasso wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme