Vietti, Colli Tortonesi (Piedmont, Italy) Timorasso 2018

The fairly recent buzz about an ancient wine grape variety resurrected from near extinction aroused my curiosity.  It is bone dry and steely with delicate peach, chamomile, lime aromas.  Flavors of lemon, pear and peach with herbal notes are heightened by a creamy texture and tingling acidity.  It is at once subtle and intriguing, likely to age well and become even more intriguing.  Enjoy it with broiled halibut.   According to Ian D’Agata’s Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Timorasso was once as common as the Cortese grape of Gavi in the Piedmont region of Italy.  Apparently, it is a difficult grape to grow because of uneven fruit set and ripening and susceptibility to gray rot.  I was curious about the term Dethona on the label, but initially assumed it was a proprietary name.  However, when I searched the term online I found that practically every Timorasso wine had the term on their label.  After further investigation I learned that Derthona is the ancient Roman name of the town Tortona in the province of Alessandria  Colli Tortonesi.  Vietti was founded by Carlo Vietti in the late 1800s and was owned by the family until 2016 when it was purchased by the Krause Group, a U.S. company that also owns the Enrico Serrafino winery in Piedmont.  Luca Currado Vietti and his wife Elena remain in charge.