Monlia Colli Tortonesi Timorasso 2020

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Wine Decoded Meets Pietro Oddero! He Came, We Talked, We Drank … We Played with the Pooches!

Spending a couple of hours with Pietro exploring the history of the region, the winery and the people was a pleasure. The quality and personality-filled wines of Poderi Oddero make sense … you’ll see!

Pietro’s grandfather Giacomo, the 5th generation, played a major role in establishing the DOC for Barolo and a suite of agricultural produce, think hazelnuts and white truffles!

While the red tape of a DOC can feel restrictive, at the time the impetus was to collectivley set base level standards that would see the profile of the Langhe raised on a global stage.

Few would argue they haven’t achieved their goal!

About Monilia

Monlia is a partnership between the Oddero family and Osteria More e Macine in La Morra.

Osteria More e Macine is much loved by many winemakers throughout the Langhe and this place has a cult following, A rambunctious, casual and seemingly chaotic place that turns out some of the town’s best food. This is the Piedmontese kitchen at its most essential: come for a mountainous swirl of the signature fine tajarin pasta with ragú, risotto with whatever vegetable’s in season, spicy sauced tongue or sliced octopus. But the star of the menu here is the Barolo by-the-glass list.

Our partnership is based on the same passion for Timorasso and the awarness of how great this indigenous Piedmontese variety can be.

In 2017 we acquired a parcel of 1.5 Ha, east exposed, in the highest (450 meters) and freshest part of Monleale, a little village close to Tortona in the heart of the Timorasso area, calcareous soil, very fine clay and some limestone.

The name of the wine “Derthona” comes from the ancient Latin name of the city of Tortona.

This project is very important for Isabella and I also because we put ourselves to test trying to create something from scratch. We will confront ourselves with Timorasso which, as well as being one of the greatest Italian native white grape varieties, it truly represents one of the oldest souls of Piedmont wine ”. Pietro Oddero

In the Vineyard

Timorasso thanks to Massa

For those who don’t know Walter Massa he single-handed has been responsible for saving Timorasso from becoming no more than printed words on pages of dusty old wine books! He is the world expert on Timorasso!

In Monleale in the province of Alessandria, there is a plot of about 1.45 hectares not yet planted with vineyards: the new Monlià farm will be born here.

Assisted in the choice of the plot by our friend and esteemed colleague Walter Massa, we have acquired this parcel of about one and a half hectares.

In the Winery

The vinification is very simple. The juice is settled and racked of gross less. The first 1/3 of the fermentation in stainless steel tank with strict temperature control. The wine is transfered into Austrian barrels of 2,500l to complete the fermentation.

The wine remains on fine lees after fermentation with some bâtonage. No Malolactic fermentation is undertaken.

We always keep aside a percentage of the wine in the steel to balance the wooden part (30% steel 70% wood)

The wine ages for 1 year in the wood and then it’s bottled, 1 month before bottling we blend barrel and tank portions together.

Where in the World in Monlia?

Monlia’s fruit is sourced from vineyards located in the Colli Tortonesi DOC just east of Alessandria, as is their new vineyard!