Campania
Candida (AV)
Fiano and only Fiano. The singular pursuit of Tenuta Sarno is to create world class wines from the indigenous variety of their territory, Fiano di Avellino. Maura Sarno's family purchased their first plot in 1860, yet winemaking was only a "hobby" until Maura decided to follow her then recently deceased father's dream and replanted their ancient vineyard in 2002 and built a modern winery. So after a great deal of study (clones, rootstocks etc) they planted a very high density vineyard, 5500 plants per hectare on 7 + hectares at 630 M ASL, coincidentally some of the highest vineyards in the entire Fiano zone. The tiny village of Candida, (named for the bright white type of limestone, "pietra candida",) 15 km SE of Avellino, was not considered in the past to be a great terroir for Fiano. Too high, too cool. Now with climate change, the climate is ideal and the stone, unique to Candida, imparts a distinct minerality to the wines of the area. Sarno has rented another 6 nearby hectares and planted and so now is farming 13 of the total of 30 hectares of Fiano in Candida. The still Fiano comes in two variations. No skin contact and partial skin contact. (Emme) . All of them delicious on release yet seem to beg for additional aging that will be handsomely rewarded. Reviews of their efforts put this young /old operation very near the top of the class, so early on in their journey. Already masterful, the best is yet to come!
Montefredane
The winery has gone through some changes, the official name of the company is now "Traerte", but they still call the brand Vadiaperti. This winery was one of the key players in the first "renaissance" of the Avellino/Tufo areas. Prof. Antonio Troisi was the spokesperson of sorts for his area's reality and future potential. His early and unexpected death left his son, Raffaelle, who's hand was always in the winemaking, to deal with many facets of running the business that he knew little about. It took him some time to get it all in order to re-focus his obvious skill back into the winemaking primarily. Vadiaperti has returned and "in grand style"-GR. These wines are intense, complex, harmonious and clearly destined for long lives in the bottle. A recent tasting in Italy with many journalists present confirmed this property's ability to make wine for the ages. A fourteen vintage vertical of Fiano showed no decay of these stellar whites. The Greco is just as impressive if not more so.
To quote Gambero Rosso "The astoundingly broad, characterful Greco di Tufo missed three glasses by a hair. The array of aromas is led by pink grapefruit, fresh almond and gunflint. the palate is, if anything, even more complex with aniseed spiciness, a sumptuous mid-palate and a terse finish of great austerity". Standing in the vineyard it is obvious why it is so. At 750 meters above SL, this steep, SW exposed site sits at the highest point in the DOCG zone. It is the top of the best hillside of the Greco di Tufo zone called "Montefusco".
As good as the Fiano and Greco are, Raffaelle’s hand with Coda di Volpe is another calling card. Few wineries work with the rare indigenous grape, fewer still to such great results.
Coming this fall, some truly exceptional Taurasi and the rarest of white indigenous grapes of Campania, Roviello aka Grecomusc.