Princic Trebez 2019

Dario Princic farms ten hectares of steep vineyards north of Gorizia, close to the Slovenian border, on clay and sandstone soils worked to organic principles. He is one of the original names in Friulian orange wine, and Trebez is his blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is made in the traditional Collio manner, with a long maceration on the skins that draws deep colour, phenolic tannin and texture from the berries, turning a white blend into a structured amber wine. Fermentation runs on native yeasts, and the wine ages with extended contact that, combined with slow oxygen exposure, builds the dried, nutty character that marks the style. With several years of bottle age this 2019 has settled into a savoury, oxidative profile. The colour is deep amber. The nose carries dried apricot, orange peel and almond over dried herbs, and the palate is dry, broad and grippy, with honey, walnut and an earthy, savoury finish. Serve at 13 to 14 degrees, decanted. It suits roast pork, poultry and aged hard cheeses.