Wines of the Week - September 22nd

Over the next few weeks I'm going to take the opportunity to comment on some of my favourite wines for our recent trip to Italy. We spent two weeks in Tuscany and Campania, and although I could limit myself to the wines from those regions, as that was mostly what we drank, I won't just list the three best Fiano's...perhaps another time. Next week we will look at the reds.

Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino Radici 2010 

This winery produces a strong line up of value wines, headlined by the Taurasi Radici reds. However, their whites are also very impressive, none more so than this Fiano. The 2009 was highly reagrded in the Gambero Rosso guide, and the 2010 surely will be as well. The nose has a lovely blend of citrus and tropical fruits, which gives way to a beautifully balanced palate, showing complexity and a lovely mouthfeel with a long minerally finish.

Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Forberg Riserva 2007

 I picked up this wine in the first wine shop I walked into, as I have long been an admirer of this Alto Adige winery. Their whites in particular, are frequently exquisite, and age very well. The Pinot Bianco Forberg Riserva 2007 is a beautifully complex wine, with a distinctive mineral and smoky nature, adding to the fruit and yeasty characteristics.   

Rocca delle Macie Vernaccia di San Gimignano '10  

Perhaps not the trendiest winery, but across a large range they make some excellent wines, both affordable and available. The 2010 Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a great follow up to the excellent value-for-money '09, offering white fruit, lemon and minerality, on a light, lively frame. Unlike some wines of this style, it finishes with a well-balanced cleanliness that makes it an enjoyable wine all round. 

Previous week.