Daniele Ricci: Derthona 2020

Derthona is the old name for Tortona, the main town in the Colli Tortonesi, which form a bridge between southern Piedmont and Lombardy. Costo Vescovato, where Daniele owns his vineyards, is characterised by a slightly hilly topography with moderately steep slopes, mainly based on marl and pelite (claystone). The climate is characterised by cold winters, not a little rain and good thermals. In one way or another, all this influences the Timorasso, a notoriously complex variety that was the most important white variety in Piedmont before phylloxera. However, due to its unreliable yields, the asynchronous ripening times of the berries and its susceptibility to trickle and botrytis, it almost disappeared from the face of the earth. Today, Timorasso is enjoying an astonishing renaissance. The white wines made from it are demanding, mineral, sophisticated, multi-layered and long-lasting.

Daniele's basic version comes from a 1.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1995, which he usually harvests in mid-September and ferments and stores spontaneously in a stainless steel tank. The maceration time is three days, whereby the grape skins of the Timorasso are very thin and consequently only release marginal and very fine tannins into the wine. Maturation lasts 12-22 months, depending on the vintage.