One of my favourite travel memories is sitting by Fornillo beach in Italy’s seaside hillslope of Positano with two of life’s basics: a glass of local fiano and a fresh tuna steak.
This Italian grape hails from the Italian region of Campania, east of Naples, and has found a home in Australia, in regions much cooler than its homeland inland from Naples, and the most respected in the Avellino area (DOCG).
So it is important to taste some cool examples from three Australian states alongside an Italian original.
1. Ballandean Estate Messing About Fiano 2013 (AUD 26) 13.2% 800m Granite Belt Qld (second harvest from the vineyard)
2. Handcrafted by Geoff Hardy 2013 (AUD 25) 13% Adelaide Hills SA
3. Larry Cherubino Laissez Faire 2013 (AUD 29) 13% Frankland River WA
4. Colli di Lapio DOCG 2010 (AUD 35) 13.5% Lapio, Campania, Italy
Tasting this four places the Granite Belt origin wine (Ballandean Estate) very high on the quality table—lots of expression and a very deep flavour profile. The fruit strength is with the Ballandean Estate wine if comparisons have to be made that way
Ballandean Estate’s Bellevue Fiano vineyard—just in véraison
The Adelaide Hills fiano (Handcrafted by Geoff Hardy) has lovely florals of the grape yet a tighter and gently worked palate.
The Frankland River fiano (Cherubino) has closed aromas essentially from some older oak barrel aging yet exploding palate which fiano gives.
Now for the Colli di Lapio 2010, Fiano di Avellino DOCG: not the style for Australian consumers. Generally a wine made and handled in barrel in an oxidising manner, old school technology, little or no freshness and a dried out palate that does not express the fruit flavour of the grape variety (as the Aussies do).A wine to serve to conservative drinkers or label buffs who don’t show discernment or are yet to drink modern.
I would happily serve all three of these Aussiefianos.
You can read more wine tasting reviews from Master of Wine Peter Scudamore-Smiths here: http://www.uncorkedandcultivated.com.au/blog/
Uncorked and Cultivated conduct annual bespoke wine and food tours for small groups to drinkable destinations in Italy.
Find out more by visiting http://www.uncorkedandcultivated.com.au/tours or calling Denise on +61 412 403 567.
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