Wine & Spirits - December 2019 - 72

FOCUS: TIMORASSO
that include lemon tea, green apple skin,
lime candy and blanched almond. A 2015
Montecitorio that Massa poured during a
visit to his cantina last January was fleshier
and richer, suggesting the 2014 might have
been affected by the rainy summer that
plagued much of Italy. After several hours
of air, though, the 2014 begins to coalesce
as cool acidity weaves those initially disparate flavors together. As is often the case with
timorasso, this one may just need a few more
years in the cellar to reveal its charm. § PortoVino, Buffalo, NY
274532

92 | Ferdinando
Principiano

$24

2018 Langhe Bianco (Best Buy) ^ This is a
rare bottling of timorasso made with fruit
grown outside of the Colli Tortonesi zone.
Ferdinando Principiano is a Barolo producer
based in Monforte d'Alba, and his 3.7-acre
plot of timorasso is in the hills of Serravalle,
less than ten miles southeast of Monforte
and about 60 miles southwest of Tortona.
More important than distance, though, is

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the elevation difference. Principiano's vines
sit at 2,460 feet above sea level, at least twice
the elevation of many Colli Tortonesi vineyards, a fact he proudly emphasizes by printing "750m s.l.m." on the front label of this
wine. The elevation difference translates to
lower alcohol-this 2018 is just 11 percent,
compared to 13 to 14.5 percent for most Colli
Tortonesi timorassos. The wine may have less
textural density and complexity, and it may
not be as long-lived, but it offers plenty of
appeal in its beautiful scents of white blossoms, mint and tarragon and crisp, mineralladen flavors of fresh lemon and pear. § PortoVino, Buffalo, NY
274523

92 | Terralba

92 | La Vecchia Posta

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$40

2015 Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Stato ^ Stefano Daffonchio farms 25 acres of vines in
the Colli Tortonesi and likes to make wines
in a natural way, without anything to "distort" the grapes. We tasted three of his
wines, and all exhibited a raw, rustic intensity, with this one standing out as the most
vivid and successful. Gathered from his oldest vines, planted in 2000, the fruit is macerated with its skins for three days, gaining a golden hue and flavors of preserved
lemon, green almond and chamomile tea.
After a few hours of air, scents of citrus blossoms mix with petrol notes, while flavors of
golden peach and Mirabelle plum contrast
with nuances of smoked pork and white peppercorn. The flavors are interesting in their
own right, though not yet woven together in
a harmonious whole. If you can stash half a
case of this in your cellar and revisit over the
next decade, I imagine it would be a fascinating game of discovery with each bottle. §
Domenico Valentino, NY
274515
$31

2017 Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Derthona
Il Selvaggio ^ La Vecchia Posta is in Avolasca,
a village in the upper reaches of the Colli
Tortonesi, around 1,300 feet above sea level.
Roberto Semino spent his childhood summers there with his grandfather and now
farms the property's 8.5 acres of vines organically. He harvests fruit for Il Selvaggio ("the
wild one") from vines that he intentionally
scattered throughout different plots alongside other varieties to see how timorasso
would respond in various soil types. The
2017 is round and mouth-filling, with flavors
of honey and baked apple that make it reminiscent of a Loire Valley chenin blanc. Bracing acidity freshens the flavors, bringing out
notes of orange peel and lemongrass. § Schatzi
Wines, Milan, NY
274649

91 | Boveri Giacomo

$29

90 | Boveri Giacomo

$17

90 | Terralba

$25

88 | Terralba

$20

2016 Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Derthona
Lacrime del Bricco ^ Giacomo Boveri took
over his family's winery in 1988, a year after
Walter Massa bottled his first timorasso.
Boveri followed Massa's progress with this
finicky variety and, in 2003, began planting timorasso in his own vineyards. Lacrime
del Bricco is one of three he now bottles, the
grapes culled from his oldest vines rooted in
limestone-rich marl soils. Aged on the lees
for one year, the wine opens with scents of
petrol and white blossoms that lead into flavors of fresh citrus and preserved lemon.
A beam of searing acidity begins to soften
with exposure to air as the fruit fleshes out
in juicy white peach tones. Smoky mineral
notes persist through the finish. § WeygandtMetzler, Unionville, PA
274650
2018 Vino da Tavola Piccolo Derthona
(Best Buy) ^ This is Giacomo Boveri's entrylevel timorasso, made with fruit culled from
vines planted in 2013 and bottled in spring
after harvest with just six months on the lees.
It's fresh and zesty, with mouthwatering acidity and juicy citrus flavors. Floral and herbal
hints add some complexity, but this wine's
appeal hangs on its refreshment value. And,
unlike many wines from timorasso, you can
enjoy its youthful exuberance without any
guilt pangs about not allowing it to age. § Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA
274627
2016 Colli Tortonesi Derthona ^ This comes
from vines planted by Stefano Daffonchio in
2003. He leaves the juice in contact with the
skins for two or three days, building a dense
texture and intense herbal tones. The 2016 is
loaded with scents of chamomile, cannabis
and citrus blossom along with some oxidative Sherry-like notes. Cool acidity weaves
through the wine, the flavors of baked citrus, smoke and honey evolving into juicier
flavors of tart lemon and pineapple. It's a
bit disjointed at present, perhaps needing
a few additional years of bottle age to meld
together. § Domenico Valentino, NY
274522
2017 Vino da Tavola Piccolo Derthona
(Best Buy) ^ This wine offers flavors of almostripe peach and melon rind edged in notes of
chamomile and honey. The lemon-oil texture
feels thick, almost buttery, providing a somewhat odd contrast with the tart fruit flavors
that another year or two of bottle age might
help to resolve. § Domenico Valentino, NY ■

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Wine & Spirits - December 2019

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