Fiano Reserve 2022
$ 25.00Produced for the first time on the East Coast, here, in 2015, Fiano is a grape of ancient ancestry in the vineyards of central Italy near Rome and Naples. A grape that adapts greatly to warm climates such as ours, Fiano has drawn the attention also of growers in south Australia and in Argentina’s Rioja region. We are truly pleased to offer this varietal from the slopes of Goodlow Mountain.
Featured profile
Just as Vermentino came to our vineyards inspired by its popularity in sunny, coastal Liguria and Sardinia, its immediate success here raised hopes of achieving the same high standard with Fiano, the white wine grape which flourishes in southernmost Italy, from Puglia in the east to Campania, around Vesuvius, on the west coast. Fiano is thick-skinned in character as well as construction, tolerating both rainfall and hot sunshine as normal weather conditions. In 2013, our viticulturist Fernando Franco – who selected outstanding strains of Sauvignon Blanc for us, in New Zealand (see that wine, above) – visited our founder’s estate in Puglia, to study their fine results with Fiano. Thus, in the first year of Fiano vines’ availability in America (2014), we were ready and energized to pursue this next pioneering commitment. As we’d hoped, Fiano sprang to life in these vineyards as if needing no introduction.
In the winery, Fiano Reserve follows the techniques of stainless-steel fermentation and aging, avoiding any oak, which give us our Viognier and Vermentino Reserves, except that the Fiano is consistently blended with a second Italian staple, Falanghina, at 5 to 10 percent per vintage. From wine competitions to the critical press, this youngest of our white Reserve offerings immediately won and continues to hold the heights of enthusiasm, for its singular fusion of melon-like, citrusy, and floral aromatics and flavors, of a refreshing and notably mineral palate.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Orecchiette pasta with cime di rapa
Pan-fried blue crab with radish and pear salad
Vine ripened tomato gazpacho topped with croûton and Caromont Farm goat cheese
TASTING NOTES
Pale yellow in color with a green reflex, the aroma is suave, very floral, citrus with dried-lemon, peach, salt and stone character. Aromatic and beautiful. On the palate it is very soothing, like a soft fresh pillow, then it increases in character and strength followed by a a long a tasty dry fresh finish.
Vinification
VINTAGE FACTORS
Cellar life 8 yrs
A challenging season which started with very early budbreak in late March, followed by a 3 night of frost which impacted and reduced the yield in the early budding Chardonnay and Nebbiolo by 20%, three more frosty nights in April did not cause further damage and the season normalized in early May inducing ideal bloom conditions for the clusters. Above average precipitation in June until early August made us a bit jittery, yet hopeful, and finally we started receiving some periods of sunshine, harvest started on August 21st on white varietals with good to very good quality especially on grapes picked in early September. Stellar-solar weather in the first 4 weeks of September gifted us with an opportunity to pick good to excellent fruit according to varietal and vineyard block combination. An Octagon Vintage from Merlot Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, no Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fermentation
In stainless steel at 65º F and aged with lees stirring for 7 months
Composition
93% Fiano 7% Falanghina
Analysis
Alcohol, 13.0%
Residual Sugars, 0.1%
Total Acidity, 0.61%