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2017 Fiano di Avellino “Vigna della Congregazione”
Villa DiamanteThis tiny property is perched high on the lush, green mountainsides inland of Naples, where the Fiano grape becomes a noble instrument for expressing the subtle nuances of great Campanian terroir. Now run by the fierce mother-daughter duo of Diamante and Serena Gaita, Villa Diamante is a historic estate whose stunningly fresh, gloriously perfumed old vintages have made a serious case for Fiano di Avellino as one of Italy’s premier white wine appellations. While their 2017 abounds with immediate charm in the form of luscious fruit and wild herbs, something magical happens with bottle age—hold some for a few years to see the nose veer toward salted butter, hazelnuts, petrol, and smoke.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Fiano |
Appellation: | Fiano di Avellino |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Campania |
Producer: | Villa Diamante |
Winemaker: | Antoine Gaita |
Vineyard: | Planted 1983-1996, 3 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Ages 12 months on its lees in stainless steel tanks |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Villa Diamante
About The Region
Campania
Campania enjoys an ancient history as a fine wine producer—in fact, its precious nectars were highly coveted in ancient Rome and received accolades from many important writers of the era, including Pliny the Elder. While winemaking here dates back to the first Greek settlers to colonize the countryside, Campania is now enjoying a wine renaissance, as small farmers are relying less and less on the co-ops that dominated the scene for decades and increasingly turning to estate-bottling to make a living and capture the richness their territory has to offer.
The Mediterranean coastline, with bustling Napoli and towering Vesuvio as its focal point, is home to a number of light, simple wines from indigenous grape varieties, often planted in sandy volcanic soils. But Campania’s viticultural heartland lies further inland, in the Irpinia region around Avellino: this mountainous terrain offers altitude and limestone soils where the noble Aglianico, Fiano, and Greco are capable of producing what are arguably some of southern Italy’s most complex, characterful, and often age-worthy reds and whites.
The increasing number of artisanal producers bottling their own wine caught our eye several years ago, and today we count one Campanian grower among our ranks. With its deep winemaking traditions—not to mention world-famous specialties like mozzarella di bufala and pizza napoletana—we will undoubtedly return soon.
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Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch