Daniele Ricci
Colli Tortonesi - Piedmont
Daniele lives and works in Costa Vescovedo, in the northern Colli Tortonesi, where he cultivates vineyards, most of which were planted by his grandparents back in 1929. Not much has been added since then. This is mainly due to the fact that Daniele wants to be involved in all stages of the work, which is quite manageable with seven hectares, but no longer really possible with 25 hectares.
Although only the vines remain from his grandparents' mixed farming, nothing has changed in terms of the range of varieties since then. The clear number one is Timorasso, by far the most interesting white variety from Piedmont, which, when pressed by the right hands (and Daniele's hands are just right), can actually produce great wines. Croatina and Barbera are also rooted in his slopes, some of which are extremely steep, from which he makes two excellent single-varietal red wines that stand somewhat undeservedly in the shadow of his brilliant Timorasso versions.
Tranquillity and time are the two attributes that unite Daniele and his vines. He conveys them in everything he does and allows his wines to enjoy them whenever they call for it. He often leaves his wines on the skins for a long time (up to 100 days), even longer on the lees (two years is the absolute minimum) and then indefinitely in the bottle.
His range is mainly based on his different interpretations of Timorasso, whereby it can be assumed that no two wines taste the same. Daniele vinifies each vintage as he sees fit, playing with harvest times, maceration and ageing times, containers (wood & cement) and thus demonstrating his deep understanding of his vines and terroir on the one hand and the immense range of the grape variety on the other.