It is undoubtedly the sound and fury of Italian sommeliers: Massa’s Timorasso. Modigliani curves (this wine is full bodied) focused by the angled faces; some fruit, a warm minerality, and all carried by an acidity that recalls a heavyweight with agile footwork. It’s hard not to get worked up about Walter Massa’s wines: He had a vision for a variety nobody wanted, worked in obscurity for years, rescued the grape, and doesn’t talk about himself but about the territory of Colli Tortonesi. When you get lost going there, start asking people 100 kilometers out; they all know and love him, from the gas station guy to the producer next door.

Walter farms 30 hectares in eight distinct vineyard areas. Total production at Massa is about 13,000 cases, of which 5,000 is Timorasso. He produces amazing reds as well from the local grapes (Croatina, Barbera, Freisa, Nebbiolo). Most bottles of Barbera fail to answer the question of whether the grape, with a touch of wood, can truly age (instead of merely keep). Massa’s Barbera Monleale is the start of an answer; we’ve tasted examples going back 15 years, and we periodically bring in some library wines for you to taste. His Barbera in steel is Sentieri, with light-saber Barbera fruit. His entry-level Fuso Barbera helped us launch (and gave the name to) our FUSO21 project; it’s a daily drinker that goes with everything and is priced right.