Features
Name:
"Small Derthona' 2023
Terrain:
Calcareous and marl-rich
Cellar
Monleale, Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont. Nestled between Monferrato and Olrepò, one of the territories most intertwined with the art of winemaking. A territory renowned and known throughout the world for its great red wines. Walter Massa, since the '70s at the helm of the family winery, has become a legendary figure, a courageous winemaker, sometimes considered a bit of an anarchist, "the maestro" who has breathed new life into an indigenous white grape variety that was at risk of extinction: Timorasso, known as Derthona, a wine with great expressiveness and structure. Today the property boasts 23 hectares at an altitude of 300 metres, dedicating itself to the typical vines of the area: Barbera, Croatina, Freisa, Timorasso and Moscato Bianco. Alcoholic fermentation takes place spontaneously, resting on fine lees with frequent batonnage, no clarification or filtration. The grapes are grown with scrupulous attention and farmer common sense, limiting treatments to a minimum. Opposed to any form of bureaucracy, Walter Massa is convinced that wine is made in the vineyard and not in the cellar, not with trademarks and documents, which is why he has chosen not to forcibly resort to appellations on the label, on the strength of his well-established reputation as a true wine craftsman
Description
A younger brother of Derthona, Piccolo Derthona is a white wine that tells the story of the evolution of a vine and a 20-year-long recovery process. No less than 10 hectares of the winery (out of a total of 23) are devoted to the production of this wine, whose grapes grow on limestone soils rich in marl. The Timorasso grapes are harvested at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level. A perfect wine to drink straight away, but it can evolve well if kept to rest in the cellar
Organoleptic characteristics:
To the eye, it is straw yellow in colour with golden reflections. On the nose, Vigneti Massa's Piccolo Derthona is floral and fresh, with hints of aromatic herbs, such as sage, as well as yellow-fleshed fruit and orange peel. On the palate it is markedly fresh, clean and with good flavour.
Storage time:
1-3 years
Vinification
Spontaneous fermentation, using only indigenous yeasts, takes place in steel vats, without the addition of sulphites. The wine then matures in steel and is bottled 'as is'.
Acknowledgements
2021 Veronelli 90/100
