Highlights: La Spinetta Timorasso 2021, Piemonte, Italy
Timorasso is an ancient indigenous grape variety of Piemonte, worthy and regarded enough to have its own DOC (!). This organic Spinetta edition comes from the hillside villages of Montemarzino, Montegioco and Monleale, between 350-400m, in calcareous marls and clay. It was fermented in stainless, and rested on lees there for 8 months prior to bottling. Super interesting and complexed with many fine layers of white honey, quince, crystalline lemon, pear skin, fresh almond rolling across a subtly waxen, gently expansive palate laced with flake salts and river stones. Lovely freshness here from front to finish. Its bottling with a Diam10 suggests La Spinetta sees a lengthy future for this wine.
And the name Derthona on the label? Derthona is the ancient Roman name for the nearby town of Tortona. In 2000, the Consorzio of Timorasso producers trademarked Derthona as their Timorasso, paying homage to the historic territory of origin for this grape variety. In 2000, there were a meagre 3 hectares of vines, and now there are 150 hectares of Timorasso. The goal is to establish Derthona as an official subzone of the DOC, producing only Timorasso. For now, it is appellated DOC Colli Tortonesi Timorasso. 93/100 (TR)
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