2013 La Colombera Timorasso "Derthona" Piemonte 750 ml

Michelin-Starred Truffles and Piedmont’s Most Exquisitely Mineral White

If you ever find yourself in the Piedmontese town of Alba in autumn, thank your lucky stars. Each year, this gourmet capital, nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Langhe region, jolts to life with the arrival of the world-renowned white truffle season. When we stopped through Alba on our annual Barolo and Barbaresco trip this past fall, the earthy aroma of the area’s most coveted export was inescapable.

In the old city center, wizened truffle hunters in waxed canvas jackets, accompanied by their Lagotto Romagnolo dogs, haggled with vendors over the rare tubers they’d dug up from the forest floor the night before. It’s from this unassuming little village that the world’s most sought-after white truffles hail, snapped up by the likes of The French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park at $450 a pop.

We weren’t in the market ourselves, but we were tipped off that the next best thing was a table at Piazza Duomo, tucked away on a narrow Alba street, boasting THREE Michelin stars and a #17 spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List. The order? Creamy potato soup, with a quail egg, a touch of Lapsang Souchong tea, and a snowy dusting of shaved white truffle.

We arrived for our reservation at 8 p.m. sharp — and famished. The dining room, colored rose-pink and decorated with a gorgeous fresco hand-painted by Neapolitan artist Francesco Clemente, was filled with signores dressed to the nines. This being the height of Barolo season, we expected to see a bottle of Piedmont’s trademark red on every table, but to our surprise many diners appeared to be drinking something white. Intrigued, we left the choice of wine pairing for our rich potato dish in the capable hands of the sommelier. He returned with a corkscrew and a bottle of 2013 La Colombera Timorasso “Derthona.” This, as it turned out, was what the Gucci-clad signores were drinking that night. And as soon as the chilled wine hit our lips — showing a sheer electric vibrancy and fleshy richness — we understood why.

A fast-rising star in Piedmont, the La Colombera winery is run by third-generation winemaker Elisa Semino. Of the estate’s 54 acres of sun-dappled, meticulously farmed vineyards, the offering most responsible for catapulting Elisa’s name to fame is Timorasso. An ancient grape varietal indigenous to the Tortona hills, and rescued from oblivion by local legend Walter Massa in the 1980s, it’s quickly becoming the buzziest white wine to hail from Northern Italy.

What’s so captivating about it? Particularly in cool vintages like 2013, where clusters reach perfect phenolic maturity without sacrificing a gram of small-berry acidity, Timorasso represents a Platonic marriage of the lemon-rind vibrancy of a Chenin Blanc with the fabulous minerality and crisp acid backbone of Chablis. From the village of Vho — whose marl, limestone, and calcareous clay hills lend Timorasso its stunning wet-stone complexity — Elisa crafted one of the most beautiful expressions of the native varietal we’ve ever tasted. The 2013 release, which netted a coveted “Tre Bicchieri” award from Gambero Rosso, left us reluctant to give up our wine glass even after the last sip, so intoxicating were the exotic fruit and white flower aromas still floating up past the rim.

Clear yellow color with aromas of apricot, honey and sweet spice. The palate is juicy and beautifully textured with orchard fruit flavors and finishes on a mouthwatering citrus note. Drink now to 2022.

150 cases from 2013’s near-perfect growing season just hit port — moving stateside from La Colombera’s Vho cellars in 58-degree containers. $30 on release. Just $19.99 today from WineAccess — the most electric Northern Italian white you’ll find for under $20. If you don’t buy it, we’ll gladly take the rest.