Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino 2020
- Vinous
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Winemaker Notes
Vineyards for the Fiano are planted on opposite north/south sides of the Arianello hillside, indisputably one of the best locations for Fiano. One side is rich in complex volcanic soils and the other in clay and calcareous soils, resulting in a lively wine with white peach, lemon, lime and crushed stone on the nose, enhanced by elegant notes of flowers and aromatic herbs. In the mouth, it is pure, fresh and juicy, finishing with outstanding length and great acidity. The Fiano di Avellino is a true expression of territory.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Fiano di Avellino opens with a subtle blend of lime-spritzed apples and crushed stone. It’s soft-textured with a crisp minerality that nicely offsets its ripe orchard fruits. A honeyed inner sweetness lingers as the 2020 finishes incredibly fresh and clean yet still impactful. Nicely done.
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2021- Vinous
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James
Suckling
The small family firm was born in 2004, by Ercole Zarrella, his wife Aurelia Fabrizio and his brother Antonio, coming from families that have always dedicated their lives to the land, after many years in selling the grapes to others, have decided to start their own vinification and bottling.
Fiano is an aromatic, white variety fully suited to the Apennine Mountains of Campania and has been documented in the region since the 13th century. It is at its best in the hills of Avellino where volcanic soils give it a charismatic aromatic lift and support a range of styles from taut and steely to nutty and smooth. Somm Secret—If you like Chardonnay, Viognier or Pinot Blanc, Fiano would be a great new wine to try!
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.