| Producer | Vigneti Massa |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Varietal | Timorasso |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 1119986 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Tasting Notes: The Vigneti Massa Derthona is not your typically light and simply refreshing Italian aperitivo white wine. It’s got substance and structure and deserves substantial food, such as richer fish, poultry, and pork dishes. From the Colli Tortonesi in south-eastern Piemonte, 'Derthona' is the ancient name for Tortona and is home to where winemaker Walter Massa rediscovered the Timorasso grape. Known for its honeyed minerality and acidity, structure and depth, this is the reason an extra year of bottle aging is required. A great alternative to Austrian or Alsace dry Riesling.
Estate History: Timorasso is native and unique to the Colli Tortonesi (southeast Piemonte). Before the 1980s, most growers were ripping out Timorasso and planting Cortese, as the latter produces more and Gavi was all the rage, so they could sell the grapes easily. Timorasso is one of those grapes (unlike, say, Cortese) that really is delicious and refreshing to eat right off the vine, due to its high sugar content and acidity. When Timorasso is vinified, you get lots of complexity and structure (from alcohol and from tannins – skin contact and thick skins!). Yet there’s plenty of acidity to keep things fresh and a definite counterpoint of what we call ‘honeyed minerality.’ When Timorasso is young, it can be really tight. As it ages, it loses some of its baby fat, and riesling-ish, petrol-like notes emerge. As far as terroir, Walter Massa vinifies each vineyard separately (or tries to if he has enough tanks) and bottles a small portion of three of the vineyards separately.
From several plots around the village of Monleale. Native yeasts. Maceration with skins 48-60 hours. Fermentation 18-22°C. Batonnage. Light filtration. Minimum six months bottle aging before release.
