To celebrate the arrival of my OliverMcCrum shipment, I cracked last night:
la Colombera Timorasso IlMontino Dd’OC: Colli Tortonesi (12.5%; www.lacolomberavini.it/en) Piercarlo Semino La Colombera/Tortona/Piedmont 2014: Med.dark gold color; very fragrant strong floral/carnations/spicy/Timo slight vanilla wafer/graham cracker/oak slight caramel/nutty some complex lovely nose; lightly tart/tangy rather spicy/floral/honeysuckle/carnations/Timo slight graham cracker bit earthy/dusty/nutty slight herbal/SauvBlanc-like quite rich/lush some complex lovely flavor; very long/lingering rather tart/tangy fairly rich/textured/lush strong floral/carnations/honeysuckle/Timo bit spicy/graham cracker/toasted hazelnuts rather complex finish; has a lot of floral/Timo aromatics but shows some aged/complex character a bit like an aged Roussanne; one of the best expressions of mature Timorasso I can recall; beautiful wine. $44.00 (OMvVB)
A wee BP:
The Timos of WalterMassa, the man who resurrected Timo from the dead, is regarded as the gold standard for Timorasso. This IlMontino is every bit as good of any Massa I’ve had, including his vnyd-designate ones. Though I must admit I’ve never had a Massa w/ much age on it.
Tom
Just had the '16 Derthona Timorasso Tom and very much enjoyed it (the local importer doesn’t bring in the Il Montino Cru). Lovely aromatics and texture, with savoury nuances adding extra interest. My first intro to the grape was a Massa '13 Derthona in Torino a few years back which made me rush off and buy one of the Crus to bring home with me. Stumbled upon a small regional tasting the following day which included a handful of Timorassos, yet nothing with the precision and complexity of the Massa. The La Colombera offers some good competition.
Yup, Mark…the basic laColombera Derthona Timorasso is very good, especially for the price (about $28 here), but not quite up to the Massa basic Timorasso.
It tried two of the Massa vnyd-designate Timos and thought they were a step up, but not worth the tariff ($78). This ilMontino is worth the tariff I think.
Timo is presently under quarantine at FPS/Davis and should be released in about a yr or two. SteveClifton/Palmina and SamBilbro/Idlewild
are standing in line to get first shot at it.
Tom