La Biancara di Angiolino Maule is a symbolic producer of natural Italian wines. Angiolino and Rosamaria bought a small plot of land, about six hectares, in the hills of Gambellara in the end of 1980's. Since the beginning, they work to develop their personal idea of wine; a wine created by the exaltation of nature, without chemicals interferences in wineyard or in cellar, in order to obtain the highest expression of terroir in every bottle.
ilvinobuono.com
(from Angiolino Maule's website )
METHOD "How we interpret the ''natura'' philosophy"
In order to avoid to interfere with the natural balances, we are committed to reducing, as much as possible, the interventions in the vineyard, in particular those which require the use of tractors. So, we limit the foliar treatments to some vineyard’s portions (as in shady areas or in areas which are close to the valley floor) where the incidence of disease is more high. Similarly, the grassy areas are cutting twice a year, in June and in September, before the grape harvest, that allow the inflorescence of spontaneous grass which attracts many insects and bees.
The basic rule in the cellar is that nothing can be added or remove from the wine. There’s not a real and precise method, because every year it depends on the musts’ characteristics, for example we can increase or decrease the must’s persistence on the grape’s skin, modifying the residence times in the barrels or decanting it from a barrel to another one during the winter. During this phase, the experience and the ability to read the signs from the wine’s evolution play a key role.
IN THE VINEYARD "Let the nature work for us"
«We are not against to the biological or biodynamic, but we simply think these practices are not the arrival point but the starting point for those who want to produce natural wine»
The “natural” quality of wine is achieved through the vineyards; it is essential to return to a wine-growing and enological culture without chemical substances to produce more typical, unique and inimitable wine, in stark contrast to the standardization and homogenization of the majority of the wine on the market.
The vineyards are totally managed by the respect for nature and without forcing it.
*Scythed the grass or soil working in the row spacing.
*Focused fertilisations in the areas where are needed, with self-produced vegetable compost and mature manure.
*Fungal diseases’ treatments through infusions and vegetable products by a gradual reduction of copper and sulphur.
*Natural rebalancing of the soil through the seeding of cereals (oat, barley) and leguminous plants (vetch, broad bean, clover) in alternate row spacing, or by autumn tillage where is necessary.
*We are constantly experimenting new methods to eliminate the use of copper and sulphur, in order to enhance the development of insects and useful microorganisms.
THE GOALS
We have to know every inch of our vineyards to intervene in targeted ways to respond to the specific needs. We work in hilly areas on steep slopes and sizeable changes in the soil, each portion of vineyard is different from the others, so every year we have to find a new vegetative and vital balance.
Our aim is to create a fertile and alive soil, rich in stable humus, that allows the good development of the vines.
GARGANEGA
La Biancara mainly works with Garganega, which is a white wine grape, a native Gambellara variety, which has been grown in this area for over 1300 years.
La Biancara's Garganega vineyards are located in four different areas: Biancara (close to the winery), Faldeo, Monte di Mezzo and Taibane; the latter are between 250-300 meters above sea level, where during the grape harvest we select the best bunches to produce Sassaia and Pico.
MERLOT
La Biancara's Merlot vineyards are locateted in Loc. Coste, while Grenache vineyards are on Sossano’s hills (in the south of Vicenza).
IN THE CELLAR "Nothing is added, nothing is removed"
We have worked for twenty years in order to eliminate all the external products as chemically selected yeasts, enzymes, concentrated musts, acidifying agents and others. Furthermore we don’t filter and clarify our wines.
We no longer use sulphur dioxide in our wines, except the years in which grape integrity need it.
All fermentations occur spontaneously, with native yeasts , thanks to thorough cleaning work of jars and various precautions to guarantee the product integrity. We monitor the fermentation temperature and if it raise heavily we have to maintain it at suitable level for the yeasts.
This particular wine, consumed in moderation, has noteworthy nutraceutical properties due to natural antioxidant components.
PHILOSOPHY "by Angiolino Maule"
I defend and receive what the nature make me available without adding, removing or correcting anything to obtain more. I am extremely convinced that my land and my grape are some of the most important things. A good land and a good vine variety don’t require external chemical supports.
The satisfaction of producing good natural wine make you feel well and you can serenely face the consumer. For many years I had to work hard to meet other people that can understand what is the true essence of natural wine.
