The 2010 Fiano di Avellino Radici is one of the most distinctive Italian whites I tasted this year. Smoke, ash, slate and yellow stone fruits all meld together seamlessly in the glass. The spectacular 2010 Radici boasts stunning richness and depth, but with no sense of excess heaviness. I imagine the 2010 will age spectacularly well for a number of reasons, including a huge, saline-infused finish that balances the fruit very nicely. This is a magnificent effort from Mastroberardino. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.
Mastroberardino is another winery that seems to have found an extra gear or two over the last few years. The Taurasis remain the flagships, but readers should also pay close attention to the entry-level reds and the best whites in this range. All of the wines are deeply varietal, making Mastroberardino a perfect place to start learning about the great wines of Campania.
A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620