​Colli Tortonesi Timorasso D.O.C. Cavallina Claudio Mariotto

The 2019 vintage of this wine obtained the "Tre Bicchieri" from Gambero Rosso, one of the most important awards for an Italian wine. For our readers, we had the pleasure of tasting and reviewing this label, which can be purchased in our online wine shop.

Buy this wine: Colli Tortonesi Timorasso D.O.C. Cavallina Claudio Mariotto for sale online on Wineshop.it

Claudio Mariotto's winery is prestigious and historic, founded in 1921 by Claudio's great-grandfather, Bepi. Today, the winery covers 54 hectares between Vho, a very small fraction of the municipality of Tortona, and the nearby municipality of Sarezzano, in the province of Alessandria, in Piedmont. It is in the heart of the "Colli Tortonesi", at an altitude between 150 and 400 m above sea level, in a hilly area in the south-east of Piedmont, on the border with Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Liguria.

It is an area characterized by a pleasant landscape, full of hills and woods alternating with agricultural fields and vineyards. A territory that guarantees ideal pedoclimatic conditions for the practice of quality viticulture. Specifically, the clayey and marly soils, rich in salts, give the wines a typical savory note, while the excellent exposure to sunlight and the mild climate, due to the mitigating action of the breezes coming from the sea, not too far away , and thanks to the protection guaranteed by the Apennines, allow a perfect ripening of the grapes.

For a few decades, the Timorasso vine has been the most important white grape variety for winemakers operating in this area. Claudio Mariotto is its greatest interpreter. With a small group of local winemakers, he was the protagonist of the rediscovery of Timorasso between the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s of the last century.

In the past, this variety, with the Cortese vine, was the most widespread and cultivated in the Tortona area. The consequences of phylloxera almost led to the disappearance of the vine, replaced by varieties considered more productive and profitable. Claudio Mariotto rediscovered the typical variety of this area, thanks to his foresight and his skills, allowing us to appreciate the Timorasso white wines, with a capacity for aging and evolution over time with few equals.

Among the various interpretations of Timorasso proposed by Claudio Mariotto's winery there is also the Timorasso Cavallina of the D.O.C. Colli Tortonesi. A wine obtained purely from Timorasso grapes harvested at the end of September, subjected to soft pressing and then to spontaneous fermentation at a controlled temperature. The wine is left for approximately 12 months on the lees to increase its aromatic and gustatory potential and then ages for 12 months in the bottle.

Let's taste the 2019 vintage.

Colli Tortonesi Timorasso D.O.C. Cavallina Claudio Mariotto 2019 is a wine with an intense straw yellow color with golden reflections. The nose is rather rich and characteristic: fruity aromas of peach and apricot are perceived, with mineral sensations and notes of hawthorn. All its typicality and uniqueness emerge on the palate: very pleasant flavour, structure and significant alcohol content (14.5% vol.) and firm body. The long and fruity finish gives freshness to the sip. We perceive a light acidic note which contributes to the gustatory freshness of the wine and makes the tasting harmonious and balanced, also revealing the enormous aging potential of the wine.

This Timorasso is a perfect white wine with pasta first courses, even seasoned but not excessively complex, and white meat second courses. The combination with traditional Piedmontese tajarin is fantastic!

Did you know Claudio Mariotto's Timorasso? Have you ever tasted it? What do you think?