It was still dark outside when I began my Skype call with Timorasso's number one fan. His name is Conrad Mattern. By day he is the CEO of an Asset Management firm but at nightfall he dons his Captain Timorasso cape, fills his trusty satchel with Timorasso wines, and sallies forth into the night to convert Michelin-starred Sommeliers -- and their wine lists -- to the ranks of the true believers.
Conrad had encounterd my Timorasso posts and reached out to a kindred spirit on Messenger. We connected immediately and, in the course of our real-time messaging exchange, agreed to a Skype meetup at 6:00 am East Coast time on Sunday morning. The sun rose a little before 6:30 am on that morning.
As he relayed it, Conrad began his Timorasso journey four or five years ago when he was introduced to the wine by a Sommelier at a Michelin 3-Star restaurant. In a subsequent visit to Italy, he ordered a Timorasso at a restaurant whose Sommelier was a friend of his. His initial thoughts were reinforced by this experience and he began musing about what it would take to begin promoting this wine in Germany. The Sommelier arranged a visit with Walter Massa in Colli Tortonesi where Conrad pitched his ideas. The outcome of that initial meeting was a promise by Conrad to return a few weeks later to taste a broader range of wines
Conrad did return, accompanied by the Sommelier who had initially introduced him to the wine in Germany. Walter, for his part, had mustered 19 of the then 38 Timorasso producers to bring wines to be tasted by the visitors. Conrad and his team blind tasted 26 wines and selected seven producers to visit Germany for a series of promotional tastings. The producers selected were:
- Walter Massa, Vigneti Walter Massa
- Massimo Pastura, Cascina La Ghersa
- Bruno Cavi and Donatello Gianotti, Cascina Montagnola
- Luigi Boveri
- Stefano Daffonchio, Teralba
- Ezio Poggio
- Paolo Poggio.
The seven producers visited Germany and participated in a "professional" tasting attended by Sommeliers and journalists. A second such tasting was held in a different German city some weeks later and, while both tastings were hugely successful, they alerted Conrad to the fact that he could not successfully promote the wine if he did not have stock on hand.
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| Timorasso producers on the initial visit to Germany (Credit Conrad Mattern. Used with permission) |
He began to work with the producers to slowly build up a stock of wines; a stock that amounts to 9000 bottles today, including vintages that are unavailable even from the producers.
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| Selected Timorasso labels from the Mattern collection (Credit Conrad Mattern. Used with permission) |
Conrad's on-the-ground distribution strategy has evolved along two planes: a website (timorasso.de) and brick-and-mortar shop for retail distribution and a-bottle-in-the- bag for restaurant visits. The wine sells really well in the shop aided by magazine articles and other traffic-driving initiatives. For the restaurants, he does a lot of promotions and tastings of wines provided by the producers.
Conrad has made a number of trips to Colli Tortonesi and personally knows 56 of the 57 Timorasso producers. Only Massa, in his estimation, knows more Timorasso producers than he does. These locals are collegial but, in general, are not very intimate with the "outside" producers. Roagna, according to Conrad, is the most expensive Derthona wine; most of the locals have still to taste it.
Conrad senses mixed feelings among the "locals"as regards the new, high profile entrants into the producer ranks. They like what these big-name producers can do in terms of marketing Timorasso but, on the other hand, these are large producers and are accompanied by a "smidgen" of industrialization.
Colli Tortonesi is not a monoculture. The area is home to a mix of vineyards, forest, wheat, fruit trees, and livestock. Nor is the area heavily commercialized. Conrad is unfamiliar with any wine shops outside of Tortona. There are now a few restaurants located outside Tortona but the exteriors are unattractive. Fortunately, the food is of good quality.
Conrad is operating under the impression that the sought-after DOC designation has been granted and will be implemented from the 2020 vintage on. Some of the highlights that he mentioned were as follows:
- Three classes: Piccolo, Derthona, and Riserva
- Minimum alcohol levels
- Minimum elevation by commune
- Limiting the size of the Timorasso growing area to 300 ha (it is currently around 200 ha).
This minimum-elevation requirement has, according to Conrad, redounded to the detriment of La Spinetta. The company had bought 20 ha of vineyard in the region for Timorasso plantings but a significant portion of the holdings are now held to be outside the zone. Giorgio is not happy.
Conrad currently collaborates with 30 producers but, in his view, Walter Massa, La Colombera, and Claudio Marrioto are the "Triumvirate of Timorasso;" that is, their wines represent the pinnacle of Timorasso production. The only producers who have turned down their requests for collaboration are Roagna (an existing distribution agreement) and Coppi (seeking a distribution agreement which extends beyond only the Timorasso offerings).
His Timorasso book is broad both in terms of geography and styles. As regards geography, the north is flat, coming in at about 100-m elevation. The hills begin in Vho and Monleale (100 - 200 m) and there is a cluster of wineries around Costa Vescovata (300 m). Beginning at this level, the climate differs from the climate at the lower altitudes. Val Bobera is a sight to behold, with high mountains and deep valleys. Ezio Poggio's vineyard sits at 500 m. In terms of style, still wines will vary based on fermentation/aging vessels, maceration time, and whether they have been fermented on the skins. A few producers (Ezio Poggio and iCarpini, for example), make metodo clasico and charmat method sparkling wines.
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| Map of Timorasso producers (Credit Conrad Mattern. Used with permission) |
In terms of the future he sees:
- Price appreciation -- producers are increasing prices by 25% over last year but, given the quality and QPR, there is available headspace.
- The region is becoming more professional. Historically a tasting at one of the producers meant sitting at a kitchen table with unsuited glassware. Giampiero Repetto's new winery will be a game-changer in that regard. It will be the first Langhe-equivalent cellar in Colli Tortonesi with tasting and winemaking facilities co-located in the middle of the vineyard.
The sun had arisen by the conclusion of our conversation.
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