Like many Italian indigenous wine grape varieties, Timorasso had long been abandoned.
Pre-miracle disaster
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a pest from the Americas, phylloxera, less than 2mm long, feeding on the sap of grapevines’ roots, almost wiped out the European vines. Then came the two World Wars when men had to leave their vineyards for fighting. The wine industry in Europe was literally dying.
After World War II, vineyards and wineries resumed operation at a very slow pace. By then, grafting European vines onto phylloxera-resistant American vines had become a norm, and replanting the indigenous varieties where they used to be planted was feasible. But winegrowers, still reeling, believed planting well-known international varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot would be more marketable and less-risky, so they just abandoned the indigenous varieties.
Tortonese Hills, in the south-east corner of Piemonte in north-west Italy, had long been home to the green grape Timorasso. In the aftermath of phylloxera and the two wars, international varieties and the easy-to-grow Cortese were planted instead. It wasn’t until the 80’s and 90’s of the last century that local winegrowers realised that the wine they made should tell the story about the land under their feet, so they uprooted the international varieties and Cortese and welcomed Timorasso home.
Rarer than 1982 Bordeaux
Timorasso is a green grape variety growing only in Italy, and only in Tortonese Hills mentioned above and in Monferrato (the former being the main production area). Even many Italians have never heard of this grape and the wine it’s made into. I was lucky enough to encounter Timorasso in 2022 when I just began my journey in wine. More recently, through a new friend, I’ve come across more Timorasso made by various wineries. They taste so good!
The Timorasso grape berries are small and very sweet when ripe. The high level of sweetness makes fuller-bodied and higher alcohol wine, but Timorasso’s structure is always so well-balanced that the alcohol never overpowers. The acidity is high, but just like the alcohol, it’s nicely integrated into the wine. Timorasso is a wine of harmony.
Aroma-wise, depending on the microclimate of the vineyards, some show Sauvignon Blanc’s gooseberry or guava, some display Viognier’s white peach and apricot, and still some are mineral and saline like a Sicilian volcanic white. As you sniff, these aromas start out faint, but get richer and more concentrated every time you stick your nose into the glass. And whatever the dominant aromas are, there’s always a subtle and delightful trace of blossom laying beneath.
The Timorasso wine tastes extremely smooth and rich. While the combination of high alcohol and rich aromas/flavours can often be over-the-top (yes, Gewürztraminer, I mean you), Timorasso is all elegance through and through. The book Wine Grapes by Vouillamoz, Harding and Robinson describes Timorasso as a wine whose oaked roundness can sometimes be perceived even when it has never been oaked. And I couldn’t agree more.
The wide range of the aromas and flavours, the high acidity together with the high alcohol make Timorasso very suitable for ageing, which has even earned it the unofficial alias “White Barolo”. Over time, Timorasso will develop a Riesling-like petroleum aroma in the bottle, but I’d say this petroleum thing is really just the icing on the cake. Timorasso is in excellent condition even enjoyed on release. And once you fall in love with Timorasso, you’ll find it nearly impossible not to open one bottle per evening from your supposed-to-be-aged collection.
The proud modesty
In the Tortonese wine country, there are no fancy wineries or tasting rooms like in Langhe or Chianti Classico. Where you taste the wine is just a modest farmhouse, and the person hosting the tasting is usually either the winegrower or a member of the winegrower’s family. They are genuine, straightforward, kind but can seem a little distant. Just as blossom underlies the aroma of Timorasso, a sense of pride always underlies the winegrower’s bearing as they speak to you. Indeed they should be proud of themselves. Back in those days, not knowing what the future would hold for them, they said their farewells to the international varieties and took a leap of faith to replant Timorasso. If it wasn’t for them, today we wouldn’t be enjoying Timorasso, a wine so far has touched the hearts of a small bunch of wine lovers and will for sure touch many many more in the years to come.
