On one of my last evenings in Piedmont, Alessio from the Centro Storico in Serralunga d'Alba showed me the Derthona Timorasso, an indigenous grape from the Colli Tortonesi in the province of Alessandria in far southeastern Piemonte near the border with Lombardia. This one was the 2009 Derthona Timorrasso from Walter Massa, who is considered the spiritual father of the grape or at the least the gentleman who pioneered its renaissance. For all of us who think we know a great deal, tasting something completely new is always an exhilarating experience. Deeply coloured, full bodied and yet elegant, it overshadowed with it pineapple aromatics the two or three Arneis that Ihat I normally drink here. That said, there are numerous other old Piedmontese varietals that have also almost gone extinct. Another that I have often enjoyed is Erbaluce, an indigenous varietal found in the area near the city of Caluso, some thirty kilometres northeast of Torino.  Comments