Ciro Picariello Fiano di Avellino 2020

Ciro Picariello’s tiny 7 hectare estate lies at the heart of Campania’s white grape region of Avellino among the Irpinian hills. More precisely, he has four hectares of Fiano and red Aglianico perched on the slopes above Summonte at 650 metres altitude on volcanic, calcareous clay and ‘pietra di rame’ (copper stone) soils. The remaining 3 ha of Fiano and Greco are to be found 10 km away in the village of Montefredane, at 550 meters altitude on more clay dominant soils.

Ciro first planted his vines in 1990, he and his his wife Rita then started selling fruit to Feudi di San Gregorio in 1993 and in 2002 he made his first wine and from 2004 he bottles everything for his label. His is helped by Rita and daughter Emma, while his son Bruno is at viticultural school. Their vineyards lie in a north-south orientation to benefit from the cleansing air currents that shuttle up and the down the hills. He works ‘naturally’ in the vineyard, all by hand. He counts himself fortunate in that the region receives plenty of beneficial spring rain annually.

“Ciro Picariello makes some of Campania’s most sought-after wines. The stellar Fiano di Avellio is made with grapes grown in the very high-quality areas of Summonte and Montefredane, and sees minimal-intervention winemaking: only the juice from the first press fraction and indigenous yeasts are used, very little sulfur dioxide is added and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Fiano wines age well in general, but Picariello’s especially so; should you find an eight- or ten-year-old bottle languishing on some restaurant wine list (unlikely in Italy), don’t hesitate to try it.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media 

The fruit for his estate-bottled Fiano di Avellino comes from two areas within the appellation, Summonte (around Picariello’s house and winery), which is at 650 meters (2,100 feet) above sea level and Montefredane, at around 500 meters (1,650 feet) above sea level. This 2019 is again superb and shows vivid, myriad aromas and flavours of citrus and stone, and an enticing smoky/struck flint character from volcanic soil. On the palate there is bright, green-apple acidity, and great complexity. Fiano is one of the most age-worthy white wines in Italy, and this will improve over ten or fifteen years very easily. A beauty and serious value for the quality. A benchmark in the region.