2019 I Favati Fiano di Avellino - Pietramara Etichetta Bianca

White wines from Campania have been a core part of our Italian selection since the beginning (37 years ago this month!), and there is arguably no greater Campanian white grape variety than fiano. Rosanna Petrozziello and her family farm their vineyards 50 kilometers east of Naples, in the cultural-geographical region of Irpinia. They are just outside the town of Avellino, which gives its name to the appellation Fiano di Avellino. Farming is practicing organic.

I Favati’s Fiano Riserva 'Pietramara' Etichetta Bianca (white label) comes from the family’s highest altitude fiano vineyards and is picked a little letter than the normal (black label) fiano. Fermentation with two days of skin contact followed by aging on the lees happens in stainless steel tanks. Then there is further aging in bottle to develop the tertiary aromas and flavors that characterize great, aged wines. The nose suggests yellow fruits, pine, and flint, with tertiary aromas from the bottle age. In the mouth, the wine has a supple entry that evolves into a more penetrating, salty acidity in the finish. This is a lovely example of bottle-aged fiano, with at least several more years of positive evolution ahead of it. Drink it in a large wine glass, not too cold, with spaghetti and clams, anchovies, or a Caprese salad.