Villa Diamante “Clos d’Haut”
fiano di avellino , italy | 2020
To the east of Napoli is the DOCG of Fiano di Avellino. While Fiano is grown in different localities throughout Campania, it is at its finest in Avellino. The history of the variety dates back over 2,000 years, and while it was beloved in Roman times, it could have been the Greeks who originally planted these vines in the area. The Romans called the grape vitas apiana, whose root word comes from Latin and means “bees.” The ripeness of the grapes attracts bees, but the challenges of the variety come from its small berry with thick skin. The yields of Fiano are quite small compared with other local grapes, but this is part of what makes it such a noble grape variety.
The story of Villa Diamante begins in 1996, when the late Antoine Gaita and his wife, Diamante, established their winery in the hills of Montefredane. The focus of Villa Diamante today is the same as when it started. Work begins in the vineyard, with organic farming. The 3 hectares of vineyards are planted at high altitudes of between 400 and 500 meters. The vineyards face north, a smart decision to make before most of the world had started talking about global warming. Antoine’s desire was to make balanced wines that could age, and he had the material to do it with these vineyards.
Antoine had a chemistry background, but his work in the winery took a hands-off approach. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed, and fermentation is started with a pied de cuve of wild yeast. The wine is aged on its lees in stainless steel for upward of around a year. It is further bottle aged before release.
Fiano is multifaceted, capable of displaying terroir. “Clos d’Haut” is the most recent addition to the Villa Diamante lineup. This Fiano comes from a single parcel, 1.5 hectares in size, in Montefredane. The classic clay soil of the region is also combined with sand in this vineyard. This is the highest-elevation parcel, at around 530 meters. It faces northeast, and the vines are around 15 years old. Antoine wanted to express the more smoky, saline side of the variety, and the 2020 “Clos d’Haut” delivers.
Salty, flinty notes can be found on the nose, along with hints of pear skin and lemon oil. The wine has beautiful texture, with plenty of dry extract, notes of citrus and almond and a lactic, creamy quality in the mid palate. All of this is beautifully framed by its acidity. The finish is long, and while delicious now, this will gain in complexity for several years to come.
Drink this alongside a crudo of John Dory or even scallops, simply dressed with some high-quality extra virgin olive oil and citrus peel.