IN BREVE
- Derthona Due.Zero is evolving from a celebration of an endangered grape variety into a manifesto for the Colli Tortonesi territory.
- The 2024 and 2023 vintages showcase the producers’ efforts in managing the alcohol content of Timorasso, an aspect often overlooked in the past.
- Wineries have adapted techniques to counter the effects of climate change and improve the wine’s balance.
- The reduced presence of hydrocarbon notes marks a significant shift in the profile of the 2024 and 2023 vintage wines.
- Investments from Langa producers and external investors are driving the growth and evolution of Colli Tortonesi and Derthona Timorasso.
When identity is the fixed point, stylistic interpretations are merely details of the same painting. And teamwork emerges above all else, in a clear and unequivocal way. On the logical thread that links the vintages. On the unified reaction to climate adversity. On the very ability to make Timorasso recognizable, from steel to new wood, by way of amphora.
Derthona Due.Zero thus transforms, in the 2026 edition, from a showcase of new vintages to the epicenter of a movement that is writing some of the finest pages of modern Italian wine. No longer just a celebration of the rebirth of a grape that was destined to disappear, but the stage for a system that teaches how to present a territory, a wine, and a variety. A soul. With the highly effective consistency of simplicity. And without fear of baring it all.
THE “ROLLER COASTER” OF CLIMATE CHANGE
From the glasses of Derthona Timorasso 2024 and 2023—net of a 2024 vintage that finds some similarities with the battered 2014 and 2010 (at least in terms of rainfall) and a much drier 2023—one fact emerges above all: an increased awareness regarding the alcohol content of the wines. The issue of alcohol levels in Timorasso wines, in one of Italy’s most drought-prone areas, the Colli Tortonesi, seemed to have gotten a bit out of hand.
As confirmed by the Consortium’s president, Gian Paolo Repetto, producers have found themselves on a “climate change roller coaster” in recent years. However, they have been able to react by working on bunch shading before the harvest, thus avoiding the sunburn that unknowingly caused some tasters to turn up their noses due to the absence of the hydrocarbon notes often associated with Timorasso.
LESS “HYDROCARBON”, MORE BALANCE IN DERTHONA TIMORASSO 2023 AND 2024
The absence of kerosene/petrol notes derived from the compound called TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene)—a scent comparable to Riesling which, incidentally, appeals more to industry insiders than to “real” wine consumers—is the most evident sign of the producers’ change of pace in the vineyard. Better cluster shading means fewer skin burns. Ergo, less “hydrocarbon.” Especially in the first months of a Timorasso’s life.
What distinguishes, then, the 2024 and 2023 vintages of Derthona (named after the Colli Tortonesi “sub-zone” currently under evaluation by the Ministry)? The answer lies in a new concept of typicality. No longer equated with a few ever-present characteristics, but rather with the enhancement of different winery styles that all pull in the direction of the territory and the grape variety.
We move from simpler wines—to be honest, even too thin in a few (rare) examples—to wines of great complexity and layering, where the plus compared to previous vintages is precisely the better alcoholic balance. The change of pace is widespread. The profiling of the variety by the wineries is increasingly precise. Even among those who were already working well with Timorasso, the further leap forward is clear. Cantine Volpi: a name, a synthesis of a concept that applies to many.
INVESTMENTS IN THE COLLI TORTONESI
Then there is the following wind blowing over the Colli Tortonesi from the great Langa producers and “outsiders” who have decided to invest to give—not to take— in this extraordinary corner of Piedmont. A few names above all that confirm, or rather ennoble, the work of the territory? Vietti, presenting Piccolo Derthona, Derthona, and single-vineyard Derthona. La Spinetta, with the fruit of its vineyards in Montemarzino and Montegioco. Viberti, with its pulp-filled freshness.
How could we not mention La Lomellina di Gavi – Marchese Raggio, part of the Capichera universe since 2022. And finally—but not least—La Stellara, a winery followed by enologist Gianfranco Cordero, and Aldo Dallavalle’s Vigneti Letizia. Courageous investments from which concrete, evolving projects are born. With head and legs. But above all with soul and a lot of heart, to be poured into the tastings of Derthona Due.Zero. The former Timorasso “preview.” From today, the manifesto of the Colli Tortonesi.
