Cordero Mario Derthona Colli Tortonesi 2024

Get fancy. We're going to Tortona!

Tortona is an ancient town in the southeast of Piedmont, the historic heart of the Colli Tortonesi wine region. Timorasso is a native, thick-skinned white grape grown in these hills, famously bottled under the ancient Roman name Derthona. By 1987, phylloxera, economic shifts, and a move toward red varieties like Barbera left only about 0.5 hectares of Timorasso remaining. Roughly 500 vines. That's it. Lucky us, there are some incredible producers bringing this gorgeous grape back.

Summer Wolff is one of them, and we love her. Another is Cordero Mario, the project of the next generation of the Vietti family. This is a wine you should drink with someone very special. Or bring it to your mom and watch her cry with happiness. She'll be done with Chardonnay forever. After gentle pressing, the must ferments at low temperature in stainless steel, and it's aged for about 12 months on the lees in stainless steel and ceramic vessels with regular bâtonnage, then six months in bottle before release. They only made 3,598 bottles in 2024, and the label was hand-painted by Luciana Vietti herself. Iconic.

It has plenty of body, richness, and real mineral character. Ripe peach, apricot, acacia blossom, honey, anise, a subtle balsamic note, a touch of flint. Broad, waxy, full on the palate, with lively acidity keeping everything in line. Already delicious, with the structure to age beautifully.