Much as Walter Massa's efforts were responsible for the resuscitation of the Timorasso variety in the Tortona hills, Ezio Poggio launched an -- ultimately successful -- effort to reclaim the variety's rightful place in Val Borbera. I discuss the Terre di Libarna growing zone in this post.
The Terre di Libarna subzone was championed by Ezio Poggio because of the history of the Timorasso grape in the region and the difference in orographic and climatic conditions vis a vis the Monleale area. The zone covers Val Borbera and Val Spinti and is so named because they did not want to name it after one of the valleys over the other. The decision was this made to give it the name of the ancient Roman city that had stood between the two valleys.
The Val Borbera is the valley formed by the Borbera River. It is surrounded by high mountains which serve to isolate it from surrounding valleys and the ravages of industrialization. As shown in the map below, the Alta Val Borbera runs in a northeasterly direction while the lower valley runs almost directly east.
According to Cascina Barbàn, wine has been made in Val Borbera for centuries, with documents from Napoleanic times illustrating the breadth of grapegrowing across the region. As late as the 1960s, 275 ha of vineyards were planted between Vignole Borbera and Carrega Ligure with 60 of those located in Alta Val Vorbera. Most of the plantings were dedicated to Timorasso.
With elevations ranging between 400 and 600 m, Val Borbera has the highest-altitude vineyards in Colli Tortonesi. It also has a markedly different temperature profile. According to Maurizio Carucci of Cascina Barbàn, the Tortona hills, with its hot, humid summers, are more reflective of a Po Valley influence. Val Borbera, on the other hand, is colder in the winter, has more significant diurnal temperature variation, and much more rainfall over the course of the growing season. The diurnal temperature variation supports the production of highly aromatic grapes while the cool temperatures extends the growing season. Maurizio sees at least a 20-day difference in harvest dates between the two zones.
Val Borbera soils are primarily marly clay and silty marl originating in the Lower Oligocene.
The subzone Terre di Libarna is illustrated in the figure below.
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