The 2009 Fiano di Avellino is beautiful in this vintage. It is an especially rich, fat Fiano with great intensity in its ripe, succulent peaches and apricots that carries through to the round, polished finish. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2012. Feudi di San Gregorio is coming back from a period in which it was essentially a victim of its own success. The winery’s early and numerous accolades plus fast, unbridled growth proved to be too much to handle. Today, under the leadership of proprietor Antonio Capaldo, Feudi seems to be much more grounded than in the past. Capaldo boasts an impressive resume, replete with world-class academic credentials and stints with Lazard in Paris and McKinsey in Italy. Despite his background, Capaldo remains humble, eager to learn and well aware of the family winery’s missteps in the past, all qualities which should serve him very well going forward. Noted agronomist Pierpaolo Sirch oversees the work in the vineyards and cellar now that Feudi is moving away from relying on consultants in favor of doing more in-house. The flashy, oak-laden style of previous vintages is gradually being phased out as Feudi relies more on the considerable pedigree of its vineyards. This will be a fascinating story to follow in the coming years. For now Feudi is still a work in progress, and in many cases, the entry-level wines provide more pleasure and varietal character than the higher-end bottlings. Importer: Palm Bay International, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 362-9642

Here’s a confident and pristine expression of Fiano that bursts open with aromas of pear, white melon, acacia flower and honeysuckle. Those fruit and flower flavors build cheerful accents over an otherwise dry and polished mouthfeel. ——M.L.(6/1/2011)—— 88