Daniele Ricci

Daniele Ricci lives and works in Costa Vescovato, in the northern Colli Tortonesi, where he tends vineyards that were largely planted by his grandparents back in 1929.

Not much has been added since then. The main reason is that Daniele insists on being involved in every step of the process — something that works quite well on seven hectares, but becomes nearly impossible on 25.

While the mixed farming practiced by his grandparents has long since given way solely to viticulture, the range of grape varieties has remained unchanged. The clear number one is Timorasso, by far the most interesting white grape variety in Piedmont. When crafted by the right hands (and Daniele’s are exactly that), it can produce truly great wines. In addition, Croatina and Barbera are also rooted in his sometimes extremely steep vineyards, yielding two excellent single-varietal red wines that — somewhat unfairly — live in the shadow of his brilliant Timorasso expressions.

Patience and tranquility are the two qualities that define both Daniele and his vines. He embodies them in every action and grants them generously to his wines whenever they call for it. He often lets his wines stay on the skins for a long time (up to 100 days), on the lees for even longer (two years is the absolute minimum), and then in the bottle for an indefinite period.

At the last tasting we attended together, he showed up with white wines from 2001 (good) and 2004 (stunning).

His range is primarily built around his various interpretations of Timorasso, and you can be sure that no two wines taste the same. Daniele vinifies each vintage according to what he feels is right at the time, experimenting with harvest dates, maceration and aging periods, and vessel types (wood and concrete). In doing so, he not only demonstrates a deep understanding of his vines and terroir, but also reveals the immense range of the Timorasso grape.