Piccolo Derthona: A Colli Tortonesi Timorasso entry point for the impatient

Timorasso is a notoriously difficult grape to grow. And your troubles are not over once you get it into the cellar: it requires extended vessel and bottle aging before it is truly ready to be released on the market. Making Timorasso wine is expensive when you factor in the additional vineyard labor costs and the time, material, and opportunity costs associated with extended aging. Producers wanted a mechanism whereby they could realize some offsetting revenue while they awaited the release of the Derthona and thus was born the concept of the Piccolo Derthona, an earlier-release, lower-cost, 100% Timorasso wine.

I have previously characterized the Piccolo Derthona as being akin to a Rosso di Montalcino but recently came across a more pointed reference: "The name, Piccolo Derthona, is inspired by what is done in French Chablis, a great territory for white wines, where the Petit Chablis is produced with the same goal, that of creating a distinctly fresh and pleasant wine, compared to the richer and more structured Chablis, in our case the Derthona."

The Colli Tortonesi 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. The submittal covers a Riserva (released a minimum 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.

The picture below show the eight Piccolo Derthonas currently produced from Colli Tortonesi Timorasso grapes. 

Piccolo Derthona wines currently produced in
Colli Tortonesi (Picture courtesy of Conrad Mattern)

The producers currently utilize a mix of reduced aging time (Pomodolce, Boveri Giacomo, Massa, Cantina di Tortona), lower quality/younger grapes (Repetto), or both (Canavero Luca) to distinguish the Piccolo Derthona from the Derthona. The proposed Derthona appellation calls for a similar aging period for both Piccolo Derthona and Derthona so producers will either have to declassify grapes, use grapes from younger vines, or use grapes from lower-quality production sites for the Piccolo wine. 

It should be noted that extending the aging period of Piccolo to one year will increase its aging costs and will also cut out an early revenue source for producers who had historically aged the wine for less than one year. 

It should be noted that only one of the big-name producers - La Spinetta -- currently offers a Piccolo Derthona and that none of the non-Langhe outsiders do. It will be interesting to see whether this state of affairs continues into the future. 

I personally have been concerned that a wine drinker encountering Piccolo as her/his intro to Timorasso may wonder what the fuss is all about and not take the time to explore the variety further. 

Below I describe the individual offerings in some more detail.

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Pomodolce Piccolo Derthona

Pomodolce farms 3 or 4 ha (depending on source) in the Montemarrone municipality of Val Curone. The estate, established in 2005, sources its estate grapes from the areas of Fontanino, Pomodolce, and Barone. The vineyards -- average elevation 380 m -- are sited on calcareous clayey soils and are exposed to the southwest. Vines are planted at 3500 vines/ha and are farmed using organic principles.

The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in-place for 8 months. In contrast, the estate's two Derthona wines are each agaed for 10 months.

Boveri Giacomo Piccolo Derthona

The grapes for this wine are sourced from a Costa Vescovato plot which has been farmed by the family for decades but which has been planted to Timorasso beginning in 2013. Vines are trained Guyot with the between-row spaces grassed.

The grapes are hand-harvested and then soft-pressed with the must clarified prior to fermentation. The wine remains on the lees for 5 - 6 months and is then bottled in the spring following harvest.

Canevaro Luca Piccolo Derthona

This 8- (or 9-) ha estate is located in the municipality of Avolasca at elevations ranging between 300 and 350 m. The vines are farmed organically with grapes for the Piccolo Derthona sourced from younger vines (A total of 1.5 ha is dedicated to Timorasso vines).

The grapes are hand-harvested and soft-pressed prior to fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wines are aged for 5 months on the lees, with batonnage, and are filtered prior to bottling.

Vigneti Repetto Piccolo Derthona

The Piccolo Derthona is a new wine for the estate. Gian Paolo 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 (estate's) 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.

Vigneti Massa Piccolo Derthona

The grapes for the Massa Piccolo Derthona are sourced from the Boscogrosso and Sigala vineyards. The production regime for Massa wines are, in general, as follows:

• Hand-harvesting
• Maceration on the skins in concrete vessels for 48 to 60 hours without sulfuring
• 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 tasted the 2018 Piccolo Derthona. Stone fruit, sea spray, minerality, spice, menthol, and a hint of burnt orange on the nose. Much more powerful on the palate than is the case for the the La Spinetta. Lime and lime skin, green tamarind, minerality, salinity, and lip-smacking tannins. Drying finish.

On the day following, sweet white fruit, tempered by a grey slatiness, pea soup, menthol, and spice. Weighty, bracing lime on the palate along with salinity, spice, and a leaden minerality. Bright. Lively. Lengthy finish.

Cantina di Tortona Piccolo Derthona

Grapes for this wine are sourced from Avolasca, Vigguzolo, and Vho where they are grown at elevations ranging between 250 and 450 m in clay and sandy soils with south and southwest orientations.

The grapes are subjected to a 6-hour maceration in an inert environment prior to alcoholic fermentation. The wine is aged for 6 months in continuously suspended fine lees.

Terralba Piccolo Derthona

No information on this wine was available from traditional sources. Conrad Mattern reached out to the proprietor but he had not yet responded at press time.

La Spinetta Piccolo Derthona

La Spinetta purchased 5 ha of land distributed between Montegiocco, Monleale, and Montemarzino for its entry into Colli Tortonesi Timorasso production. The soils are calcareous and clay at elevations ranging between 350 and 400 m and with southeast and southwest exposures.

The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented naturally in stainless steel tanks. La Spinetta's wine ages for 8 months on the lees after which it is filtered and bottled. The wine spends another 3 months in bottle before its release on the market. 

The 2019 Piccolo Derthona was La Spinetta's inaugural Timorasso vintage.  Neither the nose or palate yelled "Tortonesi Timorasso." This Piccolo was relatively thin.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Walter Massa: The Timorasso Messiah

When I was a kid growing up, I never imagined that one day I would be writing glowingly about Massa. But, here I am today, and that is exactly what I am doing. And the Massa of whom I speak? Walter Massa, the savior of Colli Tortonesi's Timorasso cultivar. The story has oft been told but I cannot treat Timorasso wines without a revisit. I meet that responsibility herein.

The Story

The Timorasso variety is native to the hills and valleys of southeast Piemonte but, given its (i) unpredictable results and (ii) farming difficulties, most of the region's farmers were replacing it with Cortese in the late 1970s (Cortese had higher yields and Gavi was all the rage).

The Massa family is also "native" to the Colli Tortonesi area, owning a family farm that dates its origin to 1879. In Massa's early years, the farm was built around a thriving fruit business and less-profitable vineyards. Walter inherited the vineyard when he was 30 years old.

Cortese was the dominant white variety planted on the estate but Walter was dissatisfied with its performance. The microclimate was not ripening the grapes adequately, leading to low-quality wines. He wanted to produce a high-quality white wine and embarked on a journey to establish whether Timorasso could fill that role. 

The journey began in 1987 when Walter filled 580 bottles of his first vintage with grapes sourced from 400 vines scattered around the family vineyard. The results were good enough to encourage further exploration.

In 1990 he planted Timorasso vines in a 1.4-ha plot called Costa del Vento. This vineyard had steep, south-facing slopes sitting at elevations ranging between 250 and 300 meters. Some of the vines that he had secured for planting were over 100 years old and ungrafted.

Walter vinified small batches for a number of years, testing different techniques, and was eventually convinced as to the viability and ageability of the wine. Over the course of the testing he discovered that the wine became better the longer it rested in the bottle. His first commercial vintage was in 1995.

But Massa was not only interested in Timorasso for his own account. He began to proselytize as regards the variety 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. 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. He has also extended his knowledge and assistance to major Langhe-based players who are seeking to enter the market, embracing the mantra that a rising tide lifts all boats.

Vineyards

Walter initially had 400 vines scatterd throughout his property but planted the dedicated, 1.4-ha Timorasso vineyard Costa del Vento in 1990. He has further expanded his Timorasso base in the intervening years.

The Boscogrosso vineyard above is also the one of the source vineyards for the Vietti Timorasso offering. 

Massa farms sustainably, treating the vines only with copper and sulfur. Timorasso is subject to rot so he removes every other bud to improve ventilation through the vines.

Timorasso is very productive, necessitating a number of pass-throughs during the growing season as part of a vineyard-management regime. Walter makes three of four passes: green harvest, removal of shoots below the main shoot, and further load-reduction when ripening begins.

Wines

Walter currently produces five 100% Timorasso wines plus a number of red wines. The Timorassi include a Piccolo Derthona (grapes from Boscogrosso and Sigala vineyards), a Derthona (grapes from Costa del Venti Costiolo, and Sterpi vineyards), and three cru-wines (Costa del Vento, Stirpi, and Montecitorio). The production regime for the wines are, in general, as follows:

• Hand-harvesting
• Maceration on the skins in concrete vessels for 48 to 60 hours without sulfuring
• 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 (Derthona spends 18 months in-house before release on the market while the cru wines are in residence for 24 months.)

Writing about the Massa wines in Wine Spectator, Kerin O'Keefe states thusly:

When young, Vigneti Massa's full-bodied Timorasso wines boast alluring floral scents, creamy apricot and apple flavors, and bright acidity. As they age, they gain in mineral complexity and boast dried fruit, almond and honeyed notes seamlessly balanced with fresh acidity. I've tasted numerous vintages over the years, and the wines evolve beautifully for at least fifteen years. As the vines get older, these superb whites may increase their aging potential.

Tasting Selected Vigneti Massa Wines

I tasted the 2018 Piccolo Derthona and the 2017 Derthona as input to this post. These are the only Timorasso wines that I have tasted to date that are equipped with screwtop closures.

The Piccolo was much clearer than the straw color presented in the Derthona. Stone fruit, sea spray, minerality, spice, menthol, and a hint of burnt orange on the nose. Much more powerful than the LA Spinetta Piccolo on the palate. Lime and lime skin, green tamarind, minerality, salinity, and lip-smacking tannins. Drying finish.

Tasted on the day following, sweet white fruit, tempered by a grey slatiness, pea soup, menthol, and spice. Weighty, bracing lime on the palate along with salinity, spice, and a leaden minerality. Bright. Lively. Lengthy finish.

The Derthona was much more viscuous in the glass than was the Piccolo. Salinity, herbs, and savory notes on the palate. Power and intensity. Full-bodied, with bright acidity and dried rocks. Lemon curd. Persistence. Long, drying finish hinting at the promise of the wine.

Tasted on the following day, bright appley notes, stone fruits, slatey minerality, and talcum powder on the nose. Weighty salinity along with lime, lime skin, and spice on the palate.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme