La Biancara Pico Tre Cru 2022

La Biancara is the estate of Angiolino Maule, one of the most influential figures in the natural wine world, working in Veneto with Garganega, the white grape best known from Soave. Pico Tre Cru is bottled under IGP Veneto from organically farmed fruit and made with minimal intervention. As an orange wine, it is made with skin contact, the must macerating on the grape skins so that phenolics and tannin pass into the wine, then aged for twelve months in oak barrels. The barrel ageing allows slow oxygen exchange through the wood, which softens the tannin and adds a savoury, spiced complexity, while the volcanic basalt soils of the Soave hills give Garganega its mineral backbone and aromatic depth. In the glass the wine is golden yellow with coppery highlights. The nose is distinguished by spicy notes of black pepper alongside ripe apricot and orange peel, over almond, beeswax and a touch of honey. The palate is dry and textured, with firm skin grip, a savoury depth from the oak and a long, peppery finish. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees, decanted, in a broad glass. It suits roast pork, herbed chicken, mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses.