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.
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| 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.
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