De Martino, Gallardia Old Vine White, 2020

The immediate impression is of lemon meringue pie straight from the oven, with the zesty freshness and pillowy lightness of meringue, richness of lemon curd custard and pie-crust toastiness. This is just the first impression, however—the wine soon unfurls to complex notes of frankincense, seasoned pine wood and beeswax. Reminiscent of a well-aged dry Riesling, it is in fact made from a field-blend of Moscatel and Chasselas, dry-farmed on very old gobelet vines planted in 1905, in the cool, southerly Itata region. This appealing, complex white has rustic roots, which give rise to surprising sophistication.