The sommelier suggests...
In this new series, a leading sommelier picks a go-to, favourite grape variety or wine style
It was during my early wine studies that I discovered a wine region around the town of Tortona in Piedmont, northwest Italy, and a white grape variety growing there that I hadn’t heard of at this point: Timorasso. Digging through a few reference books, I discovered that it was once a noble variety produced in significant volumes in the area, but that after the impact of phylloxera, it was replaced with vines that are more productive.
On the verge of extinction, Timorasso owes its modern existence to a farmer of Monleale, Walter Massa, back in 1987. He decided that the time for the high-yielding and more widely planted Cortese grape was over, and took the bold – some may say crazy – decision to replant with Timorasso.
The grape is notorious for being a real pain to grow. Producing a great wine from Timorasso is tricky, as the same bunch contains different-sized berries that ripen at different times. Its vines do not appreciate windy and humid conditions as this will absorb in the thin skin and encourage grey rot. It is no wonder growers had largely given up on it.
That is one of the reasons why I like this grape. It is like Pinot Noir – growers must be dedicated to it, and attend to it with extreme care. Naturally I have included Timorasso on our wine list at
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester (see box). It’s the kind of grape I like to suggest when diners want to try something new. Hearing a guest’s reaction after the first sip is a pleasure. Many compare the wine to a dry Riesling, some to Savennières, and Chardonnay is often cited as well.
INCREDIBLE MATCH
A classic Timorasso will show a nice uplift of bright citrus, white flowers and stone fruits. Some producers use skin contact and barrel fermentation to create a distinctive, mouthfilling character. Lengthy bottle ageing is beneficial and, with development, the wine acquires complex aromas of light honey, spice and almond. The texture is creamy, even when unoaked, and a lingering acidity frames a wine that shows complexity, vibrancy and a surprising minerality.
I am always impressed by the natural capacity of this grape to pair with many styles of food. Recently I tasted it with the latest creation of our executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet: Cornish turbot roasted in butter and garlic, finished with blackcurrant leaf powder and served with Swiss chard leaves rolled with sautéed girolles, shallot and hazelnut. The Vigne Marina Coppi, Fausto Timorasso 2017 was an incredible match. The earthiness from the girolles complemented the flinty mineral and iodine character of the wine, while the smooth, creamy body was a good match for the robust sauce, and the refreshing acidity lifted the flavour of the blackcurrant fruits.