Winemaker Notes
Explosive youthfulness, fresh and intense notes of fruits and flowers . White flowers, fresh fruits , pear, white peach on a background of rosemary. On the palate not too heavy, but rather dancing and elegant with a wonderfully fresh structure. Complex and full-bodied finish.
This wine makes an excellent pairing with soft cheeses, and ricotta; grilled shrimp; pork meat, chicken; onion soup or pasta with zucchini or with chickpeas. Excellent as an aperitif also.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Crisp acidity and a light texture provide fine definition for a fleshy range of ripe white peach, apricot and white cherry fruit flavors. A juicy streak of blood orange granita and spice, floral and herb accents carry through on the finish. Fiano and Greco
-
James Suckling
A fairly neutral and restrained wine with aromas of citrus, white flowers and a touch of lemon leaves. Light-bodied with crisp acidity, a textured palate and a chalky, phenolic finish.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
A winemaking renaissance is underfoot in Campania as more and more small, artisan and family-run wineries redefine their style with vineyard improvements and cellar upgrades. The region boasts a cool Mediterranean climate with extreme coastal, as well as high elevation mountain terroirs. It is cooler than one might expect in Campania; the region usually sees some of the last harvest dates in Italy.
Just south of Mount Vesuvio, the volcanic and sandy soils create aromatic and fresh reds based on Piedirosso and whites, made from Coda di Volpe and Falanghina. Both reds and whites go by the name, Lacryma Christi, meaning the "tears of Christ." South of Mount Vesuvio, along the Amalfi Coast, the white varieties of Falanghina and Biancolella make fresh, flirty, mineral-driven whites, and the red Piedirosso and Sciasinoso vines, which cling to steeply terraced coastlines, make snappy and ripe red wines.
Farther inland, as hills become mountains, the limestone soil of Irpinia supports the whites Fiano di Avellino, Falanghina and Greco di Tufo as well as the most-respected red of the south, Aglianico. Here the best and most age-worthy examples come from Taurasi.
Farther north and inland near the city of Benevento, the Taburno region also produces Aglianico of note—called Aglianico del Taburno—on alluvial soils. While not boasting the same heft as Taurasi, these are also reliable components of any cellar.