Region: Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Campania, Italy

Varietal: 100% Fiano

Producer: Villa Matilde is one of Campania’s most storied estates, founded in the early 1960s by lawyer and wine enthusiast Francesco Paolo Avallone, who set out to resurrect the celebrated wines of ancient Roman Campania — including the legendary Falerno — by identifying and replanting historic native varieties. Today the estate, now run by Avallone’s children Salvatore and Maria Ida, spans multiple properties across the region and has become a benchmark producer of native Campanian varieties, including Fiano, Greco, Aglianico, and Piedirosso. Their Fiano di Avellino is one of the flagship white wines in the portfolio, synthesizing deep heritage with contemporary quality and focus.

Vineyard & Winemaking: The 2021 Fiano di Avellino DOCG comes from vineyards around Lapio and Montefalcione in the Irpinia hills of Avellino, planted on tuffaceous, clay-rich soils at roughly 500–600 m elevation — conditions that promote freshness and minerality. Grapes are hand-harvested in mid-October and undergo a cryo-maceration at around 5 °C to enhance aromatic lift and structure before a gentle press and cold decantation. The must is then fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures and aged on fine lees for about four months to build texture and complexity while preserving clarity and freshness.

Tasting Notes: The 2021 Fiano di Avellino shows a softly luminous straw-yellow hue. On the nose, it offers expressive floral and citrus lift — yellow pear, apple blossom, and delicate hazelnut — with subtle hints of spice and honey that gain breadth with time in the glass. On the palate, it remains vibrant and structured, with crisp acidity framing fruit of ripe pear, quince, and lemon zest, all underscored by saline minerality and a touch of almond skin. The finish is balanced and lingering, making it a compelling match for seafood, shellfish, or refined Mediterranean fare, and still carrying the definition and length that reward short-term cellaring.