WTN: Lesser known Piemontese grapes: Timorasso & Croatina

La Colombera Colli Tortonesi Derthona Timorasso 2010
20€. This is my first experience with a 100% Timorasso, an autochthonous Piemontese variety that nearly went extinct until Massa started promoting it in the '80s. This one sees six months of ageing on its lees and I love the slight leesy touch to the otherwise mineral and citric fruit. It seems ripe and though there are some aromas that make me want to call the fruit "tropical" the whole seems fresh and racy enough to be mistaken for a cool climate wine. Lovely acidity; long; fresh, mineral finish. I like this.

Le Piane Colline Novaresi 2007
c.40€; sources differ as to what this is made from, but the appellation rules according to Le Piane's website are: "Nebbiolo minimum 30%; Vespolina and or Croatina 0-30%; Bonarda 0-40%". But then the back label and several Google searches suggest that this is mostly or entirely Croatina. So who knows? But I did not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Le Piane's "Boca" 2005 recently. Boca saw only big barrels; this one saw a mixture of big and badrique and not enough were neutral (I really don't like new badreek). It smells like a cola beverage. Their website says: "By aging the wine for 2 years in both small and large barrels we have managed to reduced (sic! - and, also, sick!) the rustic tannins and give the wine high concen­tration with earthy and berrylike aromas." Ummmm - so the producer admits to spoofing? I'd just like to appreciate the grape(s) but all this oak is getting in my way. I do quite like the palate, however. Though tamed, the tannins are still delightfully palate-cleansing, it has good acidity and the whole reminds me of the few red (not rosé Schilcher) Blauer Wildbachers I have had. But sadly a bit of oak taint, in a coconutty guise, appears on the finish. I really hoped to become acquainted with a few new Piemontese grape varieties but I didn't, because the oak was so prominent I couldn't see the grapes for the trees. I'll happily spend the 6€ more to get the Boca.

Ah, I recently had something similar. Same grape, but I think got caught up in different aspects. Of course, it''s a different producer and a different vintage.

Vigneti Massa, Derthona, 2009

This is 100% Timorasso, a grape on the edge of extinction, like Viognier three decades ago, only much more to my tastes. Despite some light oxidation on nose, the palate is surprisingly lively, albeit with an almond-like bitterness on the finish. Beyond said characteristics, there's a nuttiness on the nose, and just a hint of flowers. Very much Italian: that nuttiness and savory, low-key fruit, with unobtrusive acidity.

Timorasso is the bomb!

Hi Otto -

Thank you for the notes. I'm glad that you liked the Timorasso from La Colombera. Timorasso is a very interesting grape, and I've had examples wines from both La Colombera (2005) and Massa (2009, same as Chaim).

As far as the Le Piane Colline Novaresi, I have the 2005 (the only vintage I've had of this particular bottling) listed as 100% Croatina in my notes, but you're absolutely right about the DOC requirements. Confusing, to say the least...

More confusion comes because apparently what was quoted on Le Piane's website isn't correct: the minimum Nebbiolo for the appellation should be 50%!

The Le Piane Colline Novaresi is 60% Croatina and 30% Nebbiolo, and aged in tonneaux and botti, according to their website. Not sure how this equates to 'spoof.' When I visited the winery several years ago the overall impression I received was of great respect for terroir, but I haven't had the wine in question.

Croatina is a Mourvèdre-like bruiser, I imagine the difference in oak treatment is intended to try to tame the tannins of the variety, as they kinda say.

Croatina is a Mourvèdre-like bruiser, I imagine the difference in oak treatment is intended to try to tame the tannins of the variety, as they kinda say.

Why I used the word spoof is because they admit to trying to make something else than what the grape would naturally make. And, besides, I detest oak aromas. And I usually dislike tameness

Do you know what the regulations for the appellation are? Because from what I've found, such a high percentage of Croatina breaks the rules, yet this still has the appellation on the label.

The appellation rules are often flouted in Italy, which in my view is fine *if* the producer has the right intentions; my producer of Bardolino planted more than the minimum amount of Corvina, for example, because she is certain that in her area Corvina is the best variety. So in theory she was breaking the rules, but the rules are often decided by the larger producers anyway (look at Chianti Classico if you want an example).

As has often been pointed out, grapes naturally want to make vinegar, anything else is manipulation of some kind.

To be clear, I hate new oak aromas.