RARE GRAPE VARIETAL RESOURCE

History: Viewed by many as being Piedmont’s answer to Chardonnay in Burgundy, Timorasso has been experiencing spectacular growth. Brought back from oblivion in 1980s and 90s when Walter Massa with a handful of other small Piedmontese producers grew it on what amounted to about 3 hectares in 1999 to well over 250 today. In fact, much to my surprise, one of the Timorasso producers that I met last week at Vinitaly informed me that there may be as many as 120 wineries bottling it today – This has yet to be confirmed. Timorasso is a grape variety as interesting from the point of view of its winemaking as it is challenging to manage in the vineyard; it is no coincidence that its abandonment has been increasingly significant over the last century. A grape subjected only to mass selection, it is characterized by early bud break, low productivity, and particularly delicate berries and skins. Its rather complicated vegetation creates double shoots, forcing the winemaker to perform careful manual labor to produce healthy grapes. Several producers label it Derthona, a collective brand that enhances its identity. Derthona Timorasso is therefore a wine that is establishing itself in Italy and around the world. Its steady growth in quality and quantity has characterized the last decade, reversing a long-standing trend. Officially registered in the National Catalogue of Vine Varieties since 1970, the Derthona production regulations, innovative and extremely stringent, guide the work of the many producers toward the production of a great wine destined for longevity. The minimum aging period has always been 12 months; however, the vintage wine, and especially the Reserves—on sale from March 1st of the third year following the harvest—express the value of one of Italy's greatest white wines, a grape that becomes more complex, richer, and more substantial over time. Courtesy of: (https://www.winemeridian.com/news/derthona_da_ora_in_poi_il_solo_e_unico_nome_del_timorasso_colli_tortonesi/) It produces musts rich in extract, good sugar content and marked acidity, with a high mineral content. These characteristics make it ideal for the production of long-lived white wines, capable of withstanding aging in steel, cement, large wood barrels or barriques without losing their identity. Some producers also experiment with maceration on the skins, spontaneous fermentations, sparkling and sweet versions. (Courtesy of: https://www.quattrocalici.it/) VIVC: http://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=12450 Parentage: Unknown
Tasting notes: Timorasso wines have an intense straw yellow color, sometimes with golden
highlights even when young. On the nose, they express complex aromas: ripe fruit (pear, apple, apricot),
wildflowers, honey, aromatic herbs, hydrocarbons and mineral notes that intensify with aging. On the
palate, they are structured, savory, concentrated and endowed with great freshness and persistence.
The profile is sometimes reminiscent of great dry Rieslings or Chenin Blancs. The best examples
can evolve for 10-15 years, developing tertiary aromas of hydrocarbons, beeswax and spices.
(Courtesy of: https://www.quattrocalici.it/)
Food pairings: It is a wine that expresses itself best with important dishes: mature cheeses, white
meats, baked fish, mushrooms and traditional Piedmontese peasant dishes, but also with
spicy or fusion cuisines. (Courtesy of: https://www.quattrocalici.it/)
Production areas: Colli Tortonesi Timorasso DOC, Colli Tortonesi DOC.
Producers: https://www.autoctovino.com/grape/timorasso/

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