Tried these four Timos over the weekend:
1. Vigne Morina Coppi Timorasso Fausto DOC: ColliTortonesi (14%; TheSortingTable/Napa) FrancescoBellocchio/Castellania 2013: Med.yellow/gold color; slight earthy/nutty/oxidative quite floral/fragrant/gardenias/Timo/spicy/marigolds/pungent slight chalky/stony fairly complex nose; lightly tart/tangy rather rich/lush quite spicy/floral/gardenias/marigolds bit nutty/pungent light stony/chalky rather complex quite attractive flavor; very long/lingering quite spicy/floral/gardenias/marigolds/bit pungent slight nutty/earthy bit chalky/mineral quite complex finish; showing some evolution & complexity and getting really interesting; CheninBlanc?? Don't see much resemblence there; reminds more of a Val d'Aosta PetiteArvine than anything; dropping some of the strong Timo fruit but evolving into a lovely mature Timo. $51.50 (KK)
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2. LaColombera Timorasso Derthona Dd'OC: ColliTortonesi (14.0%; GuilianaImprts/Boulder) Fratelli Semino/Tortona/Piedmonte 2016: Med.gold color; very fragrant Timo/floral/gardenias/spicy almost muscatty/hair-oil slight chalky almost Mosel valve oil/petrol/pungent almost R-like some complex beautiful nose; lightly tart fairly rich quite floral/gardenias/Timo bit petrol/Mosel valve oil fairly rich/lush slight chalky beautiful flavor; very long/lingering strong Timo/floral/gardenias bit pungent/petrol some complex finish; an absolutely beautiful youthful expression almost R-like in character; my easy favorite of these four at a great price. $24.50 (KK)
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3. la Colombera Timorasso IlMontino Dd'OC: Colli Tortonesi (13.5%; www.lacolomberavini.it/en; OliverMcCrumImprts/Oakland) Piercarlo Semino La Colombera/Tortona/Piedmont 2013: Med.dark gold color; slightly nutty/oxidative/smokey/pungent some floral/Timo/gardenias slight pungent/zinnias some mineral/chalky rather complex nose; some softer fairly nutty/oxidative/pungent/zinnias lighter floral/Timo/gardenias quite rich/lush rather complex flavor; very long/lingering rather nutty/pungent/oxidative lightly floral/gardenias/Timo/pungent/marigolds rather rich/lush slight earthy/chalky rather complex finish; a great expression of a mature Timo but not nearly as perfumed/aromatic as the regular '16; showing some mature/oxidative character but will probably still go on anther 5 yrs at least. $44.00 (OMvVB)
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4. Oltretorrente Timorasso Derthona Dd'OC: Colli Tortonesi (14.5%; BalancedWineSlctns/Sonoma) Paderna 2015: Light gold color; lovely fragrant Timo/gardenias/floral/spicy some chalky/earthy slight pungent/smokey some complex beautiful aromatic nose w/ no signs of oxidation; fairly tart/tangy slightly metallic/steely rather floral/Timo/gardenias/spicy bit earthy/chalky/pungent bit complex flavor; very long/lingering rather floral/gardenias/Timo/bit spicy/cardamon light earthy/chalky/pungent bit complex finish; still loads of fragrant Timo fruit & starting to show some evolution; a lovely Timo at a great price. $21.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Timorasso: The indigenous Piemonte white grape that is drawing a lot of attention in the Piemonte, not just in Derthona/AltoPiemonte, but other regions as well. A variety resurrected from the dead by WalterMassa in the mid-'80's. I think it makes the best white wine in all the Piemonte. It has much the same aromatics of Arneis but is richer & more powerful than Arneis tends to be. And seems to age quite well.
I had the '14 IlMontino over a yr ago and thought it even better than this '13. The vnyd-designate LaColombera.
A variety they should be planting all up&down the Coast of Calif. SamBilbro will have the first Calif Timo in a couple of yrs.
Tom