Claudio Mariotto ‘Pitasso’ Derthona Timorasso 2018

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Derthona Timorasso DOC, from the Pitasso vineyard

EXPOSURE: 180 ° from east to west, above a hill

PRUNING: Guyot

YIELD: about 70 q / Ha.

SOIL: Calcareous / clayey.

AREA: Municipality of Sarezzano between 250-300 m a.s.l.

CULTIVATION: The vineyards are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or systemic products

HARVEST: End of September

VINIFICATION: Soft and slow pressing of the grapes, spontaneous hermocontrolled fermentation

AGING: One year on the noble yeasts in steel tanks with light battonage and  at least 12 months in the bottle

The film below is in Italian. You can select sub-tittle using the cc button & then have these auto-translated selecting the ⚙ button. The translations are a bit rough but you can glean a little insight into Claudio, his vineyards & wines.

About Claudio Mariotto

During the Timorasso revival (from near extinction) in the 90’s, Claudio took over his family’s lands, began selecting the best clones from their vineyards and giving the best sites over to this fickle grape variety. As one of the few ‘saviour’ producers, Claudio, along with Walter Massa, has some of the best experience with Timorasso that there is. This counts, as the grape is particularly difficult to cultivate (one of the reasons it came close to extinction) with problems including low and uneven yields where grapes ripen at different rates in the same bunch. Timorasso finds its home in the province of Alessandria, surrounding Tortona 80 kilometres east of Alba. Claudio’s farm was founded by his great grandfather Bepi in Vho, in the 1920s, and now has around 15 hectares dedicated to Timorasso.

In the Vineyard

Our vineyards enjoy a favorable microclimate as they are located close to the Apennines overlooking the Po Valley and influenced by the proximity of the sea which is only 60 km from the area.

We define our cultivation method as a common sense agriculture, without the use of pesticides, with pruning and leaf stripping that respect the vine.

The Timorasso grape is an autochthonous white berried grape from the Tortonesi Hills area.

It has been brought to the area since the Middle Ages, and over the centuries it has become the most cultivated vine in the area, until the arrival of phylloxera and the Second World War.

Years of progressive abandonment of the countryside and reduction of the area under vines followed, in which Timorasso was gradually abandoned in favor of easier and more productive varieties.

In recent years there has been the rediscovery of Timorasso, thanks to its oenological characteristics and the predisposition to aging for many years becoming a wine with great structure both in the nose and in the mouth.

In the Winery

Overall clad, never wearing shoes Pigi is the cellar guy for both Walter Massa and Claudio Mariotto.

Where in the World is Claudio Mariotto?

Cantina Claudio Mariotto is located in the Colli Tortonesi DOC just east of Alessandria.