Jul 30, 2010
A Tasting Note: 2009 La Biancara Rosso Masieri
Tel: +39 (0) 444 444 244 Annual production: 35,000 – 45,000 bottles
Angiolino Maule owns 11 hectares (& rents 2ha more) of vineyards on volcanic soil between the provinces of Vicenza and Verona, an extension of the Soave foothills in the Veneto, in North Eastern Italy. The Veneto is a region traditionally famous for the Soave white wines and the dark, rich and typically hugely alcoholic Amarone della Valpolicella wines. But Angiolino is traditional in another way, working the vineyards as naturally as possible without the use of any synthetic or chemical additives, industrial fertilizers or any other artificial soil treatments. Rather, he practices biodynamics and uses only natural preparations in the vineyards.
Angiolino’s philosophy is carried through to the cellar where his wines spontaneously ferment with only indigenous yeasts. He doesn’t control temperature during fermentation, he uses no enzymes nor sulfur and bottles without fining or filtering. To quote Angiolino “The big difference between the majority of vine growers and my vine growing is my great respect for nature and that means no compromise. I accept and defend what the land gives me without correcting, adding or subtracting to get more. In the cellar I think the difference is even greater, some producers with the excuse of protecting or enhancing came to use six to eight chemicals added to the must or the wine, I disagree” Read the rest of this entry »