The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Ciro Picariello Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2023
White WineIssue 98

Ciro Picariello Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2023

Ciro Picariello

$31Avellino, Campania, Italy
Ciro Picariello's Fiano is one of southern Italy's most compelling white wines — volcanic soil, old vines, and zero shortcuts. The 2023 is electric and precise, with the kind of mineral depth that makes you reconsider what Campanian whites can achieve. This is a wine that tastes like the rough, beautiful terrain it comes from.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe white peach and crushed hazelnut open the nose with striking purity. A floral note — subtle, almost like chamomile — rides over a bed of wet stone minerality. Green apple and a hint of honey add complexity without excess sweetness.

Palate

Taut and focused, with bright citrus acidity driving a core of orchard fruit. The volcanic soils of Irpinia show up as a smoky, mineral undertow that gives the wine serious grip. Marzipan and a subtle nuttiness emerge on the mid-palate. Textured without being heavy.

Finish

Persistent and clean, with lingering citrus peel, mineral salinity, and a bitter almond note that begs another sip.

Specifications
Varietal
Fiano
Blend
100% Fiano
Vineyards
Summonte, Irpinia (550m elevation, volcanic soils)
Alcohol
13%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Skin Contact
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta

The Story

From high-altitude vineyards on the volcanic soils of Summonte in Irpinia, Ciro Picariello farms Fiano vines over 30 years old, vinifying entirely in stainless steel to preserve the grape's raw mineral voice.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More White Wine Reviews
Chablis, Louis Michel
White Wine

Chablis, Louis Michel

Louis Michel & Fils

Louis Michel & Fils is one of Chablis' great purists, eschewing oak entirely in favor of stainless steel to let the limestone terroir shine with absolute transparency. This is clarity through constraint made liquid—proof that restraint in winemaking yields the most eloquent expression of place. A benchmark village Chablis that punches well above its price.

$29
Famille Hugel Gewürztraminer Alsace 2022
White Wine

Famille Hugel Gewürztraminer Alsace 2022

Famille Hugel

Hugel's estate-level Gewürztraminer is an ideal entry into the grape — aromatic and expressive without tipping into heaviness. The 2022 vintage shows purity of fruit and the benefit of Alsace's continental climate, where warm days and cool nights preserve acidity in a variety that can lose it. This is the bottle to pair with spiced cuisine or to enjoy on its own as an education in aromatics.

$22
Domaine Bott-Geyl Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg 2022
White Wine

Domaine Bott-Geyl Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg 2022

Domaine Bott-Geyl

Bott-Geyl's biodynamic approach to the Mandelberg vineyard yields a Riesling of remarkable purity. This is a wine that tastes like its origin — limestone, sun, and the careful hand of a grower who trusts the vine to speak for itself. Grand Cru Alsace at a price that remains approachable.

$48
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
White Wine

Grüner Veltliner Federspiel

Rudi Pichler

Rudi Pichler's meticulous terraced Wachau vineyards yield a Federspiel that punches well above its modest price. This is a wine that earns its place through sheer craft—transparent, site-driven, and quietly compelling. A benchmark for the category and a reminder that trust is built vintage after vintage.

$26