Another rich, enveloping white, the 2011 Fiano di Avellino wraps around the palate with hints of pear, white peaches, flowers and crushed rocks. Like the Falanghina, in this vintage, the Fiano is mostly built on fruit, while the more typical varietal nuances are less prominent. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2014. Villa Matilde excels with a wide range of wines. The house style favors textural richness and depth. At times, varietal expression can take a bit of a back seat, but the wines more than compensate for that with their extraordinary personalitites. In particular, I found a number of the reds to be simply dazzling this year. Many of these wines are also great values. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2010 Fiano di Avellino is a gorgeous wine. The explosive bouquet alone is worth the price of admission. This is a beautifully delineated, expressive Fiano that stands apart from the vast majority of its peers. Readers will not want to miss this sublime Fiano di Avellino. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. This is a very strong set of wines from Villa Matilde, with numerous choices that deliver stunning quality and value. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

Fiano is a versatile grape that when executed in a fresh, easy style (as in this expression) makes a perfect companion to shellfish or seafood. Aromas include stone fruit, pink grapefruit and melon and there’s a touch of heat or power on the close.——M.L.(6/1/2011)—— 87

The 2008 Fiano di Avellino is a vivid, textured white. A ripe, open bouquet leads to juicy apricots, flowers, smoke and ash. This is an especially soft, generous style of Fiano di Avellino that impresses for its richness, depth and fine overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. Villa Matilde is an excellent source for wines that ooze with character. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The estate's 2006 Fiano di Avellino is a more complete wine than the Greco. It reveals lovely, perfumed aromatics along with generous white peaches, orange peel and mint, all supported by a vein of minerality that accompanies the wine from start to finish and gives the wine its wonderful sense of proportion. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2010. Proprietors Tani and Maria Ida Avallone run this estate located outside Naples, in the province of Caserta, where the history of viticulture spans several centuries. The mineral-rich soils yield wines of uncommon complexity and elegance. The estate works with a selection of ancient clones of the area’s indigenous varieties that were re-discovered several decades ago and subsequently re-planted throughout the vineyards. Riccardo Cotarella is the consulting oenologist. Unlike many estates in the region, Villa Matilde excels with both reds and whites. Notes on some of Villa Matilde’s value-priced wines can be found in my Best Buys from Italy article available at www.erobertparker.com. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900