Wine lovers in Italy have known for many years now that Derthona Colli Tortonesi DOC, in southeastern Piedmont, produces some of Italy’s most distinctive, ageable and complex white wines made from Timorasso, an ancient, indigenous grape (Leonardo DaVinci was a fan) that is difficult to grow and had nearly vanished by the late 1980s. Dynamic husband-and-wife duo Elena Penna and Luca Currado Vietti partnered with American businessman Kyle Krause beginning in 2016 to catapult Luca’s family’s winery, Vietti, into one of the most respected and largest wineries in Italy, but along the way they began to long for the more creative and simpler days when they ran a winery small enough for them to control all aspects. Once their contractual obligations to Vietti were fulfilled they launched Cascina Penna-Currado, a family project that includes their children Michele and Giulia, based in a restored 1554 cascina in Serralunga d’Alba. As they were one of the best producers of Timorasso at Vietti, Timorasso represents for them both continuity and renewal. Their 2024 Derthona comes from 15-year-old, east-facing vineyards in Berzano di Tortona rooted in Sant’Agata fossil marl, soils of compacted calcareous clay that contribute the variety’s characteristic savoriness and saline finish. Fermentation proceeds over roughly 32 days with indigenous yeasts, with some submerged-cap skin infusion to build structure while avoiding oxidative notes. The wine ages on its lees in ceramic and stainless steel, with a small portion in acacia; malolactic fermentation is blocked to preserve the grape’s naturally high acidity. Open in advance and serve at cellar temperature. Its flavors of pineapple core, green plum, yellow apple, chamomile, almond paste and rock salt pair well with poultry, richer seafood preparations, and/or aged cheeses.