Claudio Mariotto

Viticulture in the Colli Tortonesi

Viticulture in the Colli Tortonesi dates back to the ancient Roman period. Timorasso, a native white grape of these hills, is documented locally from the Middle Ages and eventually became the area's most widely planted variety.

That position changed after the arrival of phylloxera and the Second World War. The ensuing abandonment of the countryside and contraction of vineyard acreage progressively displaced Timorasso in favour of varieties that were easier to cultivate and more productive.

1921: Bepi establishes the family estate

The family enterprise was founded in 1921 by Claudio Mariotto's great-grandfather Bepi. It subsequently passed to Claudio's grandfather Salvatore and then to his father, Oreste. The present estate therefore represents four named generations of family continuity.

Oreste was known as “il Rosso.” A historic Barbera vineyard adjoining the winery and its Poggio del Rosso wine preserve that family connection.

Early 1990s: Claudio and the recovery of Timorasso

At the beginning of the 1990s, Claudio Mariotto joined a small group of local growers who believed that the nearly abandoned Timorasso could produce a substantial Piedmontese white wine capable of long ageing. His daily work in the vineyards also led him to give greater value to the crop by bottling the wine he produced.

The estate subsequently developed several expressions of Timorasso. By 2024, Pitasso had served as an emblematic label of the winery for approximately 25 years. The range also came to distinguish individual sources such as Bricco San Michele, described as the youngest vineyard, and Cavallina, whose Timorasso vines were almost 20 years old in 2024. A separate Timorasso expression introduced skin maceration and amphora ageing.

The contemporary estate

The vineyards now cover 54 ha between Vho and Sarezzano. Production is centred on local varieties and includes Timorasso, Barbera, Cortese, Moscato, Freisa, and Croatina. The estate combines steel-aged wines, wines matured in small wooden vessels, a Metodo Classico sparkling wine, a partially fermented Moscato, a wine from dried grapes, and amphora-aged Timorasso.

The cultivation philosophy is described as “common-sense agriculture.” Pesticides are excluded, as are chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and systemic products. Pruning and leaf removal are intended to respect the vine, and Guyot is the consistently documented training and pruning system.

Yield varies by variety and selection. Timorasso is generally listed at approximately 70 q/ha. Barbera ranges from approximately 40 q/ha in the historic vineyard beside the winery to 55–60 q/ha in other estate selections, while another multi-site selection is listed at 70 q/ha. Freisa is approximately 55 q/ha, Croatina 30 q/ha, and documented Moscato sources range from 30 to 70 q/ha.

Harvest timing follows the variety and intended style. Moscato and the sparkling-wine grapes can be picked from the beginning of September; another Moscato selection is harvested from mid to late September. Timorasso is harvested at the end of September. Barbera, Freisa, and Croatina are generally picked from late September into early October.

White-wine production

The principal white-wine process begins with soft, slow pressing followed by spontaneous, temperature-controlled fermentation. Timorasso is matured for one year on the fine or noble lees in steel tanks, with light bâtonnage. Bottle ageing then lasts at least six months for the multi-vineyard selection and at least 12 months for the single-vineyard expressions.

A skin-macerated Timorasso is softly and slowly crushed and destemmed, macerated on the skins for approximately 15 days, and fermented spontaneously under temperature control. It then spends 12 months on the noble lees in amphora and at least another 12 months in bottle.

Red-wine production

Red-wine vinification is designed to preserve the territorial identity and aromas of the Colli Tortonesi through measured maceration. The grapes are softly and slowly crushed and destemmed before maceration and racking. Documented maceration periods range from four or five days for Freisa to eight–ten days for some Barbera and Croatina lots and ten–12 days for other Barbera selections.

Ageing depends on the selection. Steel-aged reds spend six or 12 months in tank followed by at least six months in bottle. Wood-aged wines use tonneaux, barriques, or other small barrels, including new, first-use, and second-use vessels. Several selections mature for approximately or at least 12 months in wood, followed by six, 12, or 24 months in bottle. The documented 500-litre vessels include alternating new and first-use barrels, while some Barbera is matured in small second-use barrels in a Burgundian-inspired approach.

Other cellar methods

The Metodo Classico sparkling wine undergoes soft, slow pressing and spontaneous, temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by at least 30 months on the yeasts.

For the partially fermented Moscato, soft pressing is followed by must settling to separate turbidity naturally. Temperature control interrupts fermentation to retain natural sweetness, and the wine receives brief bottle refinement before release.

Moscato destined for the dried-grape wine is dried in crates before soft, slow pressing and spontaneous, temperature-controlled fermentation. It then matures for six months in new 500-litre barrels.