Timorasso: The Grape That Refused to Die
Italy’s muscular, mineral, nearly discarded grape, its unlikely comeback - and the bottles to buy!
I vividly remember sitting alfresco perched inside a trattoria overlooking the sunset dance across Monferrato’s pastoral green, as I witnessed Italy beat England on penalties in the Euro 2021 final.
I remember it for two reasons.
The first: my wife and I — two British passport holders — were seated deep behind ‘enemy lines’, amid this bucolic splendour, trying not to look too excited during key moments of the game.
The second reason? This is where I first tasted Timorasso.
A bit about Timorasso.
Piemonte is famous for its red grapes: Nebbiolo—think Barolo and Barbaresco—Barbera, Dolcetto, and that sleuth, Ruché.
Whites? There are a few. Cortese, best known for Gavi; some Roero Arneis; my beloved Moscato; Erbaluce; Nascetta; plus some excellent Langhe Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and that weed, Chardonnay, which seemingly grows everywhere.
Timorasso hails from Colli Tortonesi DOC around the town of Tortona (also known as Derthona), which lies slightly east of Alessandria and slightly north of the Langhe.
For much of the 20th century, Timorasso was unattractive to farm as a high-maintenance, late-ripening, low-yielding grape. It was prone to oxidation and less aromatic compared to Gavi or Arneis.
Growers pivoted to the booming Gavi DOCG, international varieties or doubled down on the red grapes.
By the 1980s, Timorasso was on the brink of extinction, with only a scattering of old vines clinging on in mixed plantings.
Walter Massa and Vigneti Massa.
Like Ruché, Timorasso thrives today largely because of a handful of obsessives who refused to resign this underestimated grape to history. Walter Massa is one such obsessive.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa painstakingly identified old vine Timorasso parcels and vinified them separately under the name “Derthona”, reviving the historical Roman name for Tortona.
“Our altitude, microclimate and soil are more suited to white grapes, but market demand for reds meant that growers here replanted with red varieties for commercial reasons only...” Massa told Wine Enthusiast.
Inside Locanda Costa dei Vigneti, where I first tasted Timorasso, they spoke passionately about its resurrection, crediting its existence and recuperation to the steadfast belief of Walter Massa and others who championed a local grape against a tide of populism.
Current production volumes remain modest, with reports of around 800,000 bottles a year versus Gavi’s 14 million. However, other regions are taking an interest in Timorasso with production now appearing in the United States and, more recently, Ukraine.
Timorasso’s style and character
Timorasso defies normal expectations of Italian white wine, especially those high-volume production whites such as Pinot Grigio.
Timorasso’s aromatic profile matures with ageing. Younger vintages show ripe stone fruit (peach, apricot), white flowers and citrus peel (lime, lemon). With time, the wine takes on honey, marzipan, hazelnut, smoke, flint, and a signature kerosene note, like some Rieslings.
On the palate, most Timorassos I tried are fresh with bright acidity, often with notes of green apple and pear, and a saline finish that makes it easy to drink on its own or with food. Some are funky like a French cider; others show smoke or almond skin with maturity.
Timorassos that you should buy.
These are the Timorassos that I personally enjoy and recommend to others. It is a grape that is very hard to find outside of Piemonte, let alone Italy, but keep these in notes in your locker. I apologise upfront for some screenshots of photos I took from Vivino—I forgot to keep a photo for my camera roll.
Valli Unite Montesoro
This was the first Timorasso I tried. Montesoro is an orange wine produced by Valli Unite Winery with Timorasso local grapes, spontaneous fermentation and maceration for 15 days on skin. It’s a funky Timorasso—a bit like a French cider—with smoke and chamomile notes.
Sette Colli Monferrato Bianco
Also, my mother-in-law’s favourite Timorasso. We drove straight to the winery to buy it directly by the case at only €8 a bottle. BARGAIN! It is a fresh, crisp and complex wine, straw yellow in colour. Medium bodied with raw stone fruit, yellow apple and a long saline and raw pineapple finish.
Cascina Montagnola Morasso
A full-bodied, complex Timorasso with high alcohol, tropical pineapple notes and quite aromatic with crushed stones and that kerosene kick. Those mineral notes continue on the palate with a saline and almond finish. It’s a punchy white that wants food. First enjoyed at Piazza Duomo.
Claudio Mariotto Pitasso
One of my favourite Timorasso bottles! Low on the funk and leans a bit more classic. There’s clean flint minerality on the nose with pronounced white flowers, pear, quince and ripe stone fruit. To taste, dry, full bodied with a complex flavour of chamomile, bitter toasted almond, raw pineapple and grapefruit pith towards the finish. It’s all balanced by freshness. I first drank it at Lido 84 as part of a pairing.
La Colombera Piercarlo Semino
It was part of a pairing at Piazza Duomo wine tasting. This bottle exudes sweeter honey notes while remaining balanced. The usual Timorasso minerality is supported by green apple, beeswax and a touch of citrus, so it pairs well with vegetables, seafood and I would be interested to see how it does with aromatic dishes, especially Thai and Indian food.
Ricci Donna Clem
Just when you thought I’d shown you everything: a sparkling Timorasso aged 36 months on the lees. Bold and complex, starting bright with green apple and lift, before turning smoky — a signature Timorasso trait. A slight biscuit note, but largely a light, French-cider-style pour. First enjoyed at Il Fiorile.
Liam is a restaurant critic, food and travel writer based in the Middle East. He owns EatGoSee and contributes to other publications. You can find Liam on Substack, Threads, Instagram, BlueSky or Facebook.