Fiano di Avelino by Florentia 2013 comes from the Campania region of Italy. It is made with Fiano grape - Campania's most noble white grape and one of Italy's finest white varieties.
In the first half of the 20th century, it was drastically reduced due to the phylloxera pandemic (vine killing parasite) and two world wars and almost forgotten. Thanks to Antonio Mastroberardino, the iconic Campanian producer, Fiano grape, was saved in the years following II World War.
The names on Italian wine labels often include the geographic origin of the wine, just like French. Fiano di Avelino is no exception.
Fiano di Avellino
Fiano is at its best in the Fiano di Avellino DOCG. This area consists of 20 villages that lie on the hills surrounding the city of Avellino. Most of the vineyards are at the elevation between 1,000-2,000 feet. Fiano di Avellino is quite large, and wines made in different styles due to variations in altitude and soil types. What's interesting about Avellino that most wines are site-specific instead of being blends of grapes from different parts of the appellation. While there can be 15% of other white grapes from the area added to Fiano di Avellino, most wines are 100% Fiano.
2013 Florentia Fiano di Avellino is an excellent representation of the wine from this region. Florentia is a small producer, and we had a hard time finding information about the winery. It didn't surprise us considering the amount of wine and the number of wineries in Italy. Nevertheless, it had little impact on how much we enjoyed this wine. Actually, having no prior information about the winery helped us to perceive the wine without preconceived notions about its quality based on the producer.
Florentia Fiano di Avelino 2013 Tasting Notes
Aromas
It has quite complex aromas of yellow apple, orange, apricot, white iris, tarragon, and a touch of beeswax and minerality.
Flavors
The wine has a substantial body and sensible acidity. The flavors are a concoction of quince and lemon, yellow plum, and apple with a salty mineral note.
Conclusion
We enjoyed this wine on many levels. It had complex aromas and flavors that kept evolving in the glass. Thanks to its profile, it can be appreciated with a variety of seafood, pork chops, and even lamb. We can also see ourselves sipping it on a summer afternoon on its own.
If you have not had Fiano yet, we would highly recommend it. In the realm of wine, it's somewhere in between aromatic Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay aged in oak.
Have you tasted Fiano yet? What are your thoughts?
