Cascina San Leto Ricci 'Derthona' Timorasso Colli Tortonesi DOC 2021 750ML
Variety: Timorasso
Vineyards: South, Southwest facing., 280 meters a.s.l., Tortonian marl
Vinification: Hand harvested, fermented and elevated in stainless steel with indigenous yeast. A stroke of colour arises from three days of skin contact, no pumpovers. 12-month aging on the lees in 700-litre acacia barrels.
Tasting Notes: Gold in colour, a vibrant, citrus and herbal palate, shy hints of butter and vanilla, with a strong, flinty mineral backbone.
Deep in Piedmont’s stunning Colli Tortonesi hills, Daniele Ricci has been making unforgettable natural wines from local grapes, most notably the once almost forgotten white variety Timorasso, since the late 90’s when he took over the small family estate. Having married the naturalist ethos, he converted his 8 hectares to organic farming (although he goes way beyond that obviously), while in the cellar he works exclusively with wild fermentations and nothing added nor taken away. None of Ricci’s wines are filtered nor fined and contain very little sulphur. Daniele is quietly confident in this “less is more” philosophy and his son Mattia seems equally reassured about the future and sustainability of their azienda. Often quite extended skin contact for the whites infuses them with depth of emotion and complexity, as is the case with Daniele’s beautifully successful experimentation with local wood such as chestnut and acacia and guided oxidation.