Timorasso is a native white grape variety originating from the hills of the Alessandria area, with particularly favourable growing conditions in the Tortona and Novi regions. It has a long history: documented as far back as the Middle Ages, it was also described in 19th-century Piedmontese ampelographies. Following a long period of decline, linked to phylloxera and the spread of more productive varieties, it has been rediscovered as one of the most distinctive expressions of eastern Piedmontese viticulture.
From an ampelographic perspective, it has a large, pentagonal leaf, generally five-lobed, with straight margins and an open petiole sinus. The bunch is medium or medium-large, pyramidal and winged, with varying degrees of compactness; the berry is spheroidal, medium to large in size, with a golden-yellow skin when ripe. Cultivation is concentrated mainly in the Colli Tortonesi, in the province of Alessandria, and particularly involves the hills around Tortona, Monleale and the neighbouring areas of Novi.
The resulting wine is characterised by a straw-yellow colour, sometimes intense and brilliant, and by fragrant aromas reminiscent of citrus, tropical fruit, white flowers and delicate mineral notes. On the palate, it displays good structure, freshness, savouriness and length, with a balance that allows it to develop favourably over time. It is, in fact, one of the rare Piedmontese white wines capable of developing complexity and depth through ageing, including in oak.
