August 26, 2012 - Enjoyed this. Nice pear, sea salt, apple and lemon. Went well with some pasta in brown butter sauce.
August 25, 2012 - NC Cindy Tasting, August 2012 (Chateau WineKnurd): The third time we've had this wine at a Cindy night, this one was the least impressive. Light yellow with maybe a tinge of red (hard to tell in the ambient light), this has a fairly intense tropical nose, with cantaloupe and a trace of over-ripeness. The tropical note continues on the palate with mango and pineapple, but the over-ripe character continues, as well. The wine is a touch harsh and definitely not smooth on the palate, with not a lot of depth to it. Fiano is not traditionally a wine for aging. Perhaps this is just too old. Below average this time out.
June 9, 2012 - NC Tasting 09 June 2012 JohnR's New House (JohnR's New House Wake Forest): Brought to JohnR's first gathering at his new house as a gift but we popped it first. Always a favorite, pineapple juice, apples, tropical and floral notes with firm acidity. $13 / bottle can't go wrong for a unique Italian white. Gets the coveted WK A rating.
March 31, 2012 - NC Cindy Tasting. "Baller Night" (NC Wino's Stately Wayne Manor): Slightly darker yellow than the wines that preceded it, the nose was vastly different, with grilled pineapple, some freshly cut grass, snap peas and a notable sweetness. The mouthfeel is fairly oily, but the rich tropical flavor carries through as the grilled pineapple is joined by some mango and melon. The snap pea aspect continues, as well, although this is a touch hot on the mid-palate, at 13.5% alcohol. The finish is medium at most, but this is still a good wine at the declared $13 price point.
June 10, 2011 - JohnR's "wake": Drank with Phredd at "JohnR's Wake" (aka Viking60). Concur w/ Phredd on the residual sugar, which keeps the acidity from burning your tongue away as well as the aging potential. Fiano is very susceptible to oxidation but at this price point it shouldn't stay in your cellar long at all. Staying with the Overall A rating.
June 10, 2011 - NC Cindy Tasting. JohnR's Wake. (WineKnurd's House): NC Cindy Tasting. "JohnR's Wake". We began with a light white wine, just to get things started. Medium yellow in color, I've never had a Fiano before, so I had no expectations. It was not particularly viscous. The nose featured pear and chinese apple - simple, but very inviting and appealing. The light pear and apple flavors carried through on the palate, along with mineral oil and dark yellow flowers. It likely has a little bit of residual sugar, so this is just in the off-dry range. It contained the 13.5% ABV quite well, though, and while it isn't earth-shattering, this was very tasty and a really good lead-off for the evening. This is a solid summer sipper, or it would pair well with mildly spicy foods. For the under-$10 price point, this is an excellent value. A good start to the evening. Drink now, as it likely has no aging potential.
May 19, 2011 - First wine of the Jujube Italian recession dinner, paired with a slab of tallegio cheese and a mango, carrot, and mint salad. The nose and palate are both very expressive with melons, citrus, steely minerality and hints of anise, limestone, and tangerine. Great acidity, what you expect from an Italian white, but what is unexpected is the palate depth and development; you truly get different flavors across different parts of the palate with each sip. For a "simple white wine", this is anything but.
Pairing- A- (the tallegio was a little too thick and funky for the freshness of the wine, but the mango carrot mint salad was a perfect complement)
Style & Quality- A (as compared to other Italian whites like Pinot Grigio or Trebbiano which really lack the flavor depth and complexity of this wine)
Value- A+ ($9.99 / bottle; even if found at $15 this is still great QPR)
Overall: A
December 29, 2010 - Disappointing wine. Yellow tinged with green. Aromas of fruit (peach and pear), quite acid. Not very much enjoyed.
August 16, 2010 - Wine Education Service Sicily Tasting (LSE, London): Lightly perfumed, melon notes. Fairly full, rounded and smooth. Apricot flavours with bitter spicy finish. Nice aperitif and excellent value.
August 16, 2010 - Wine Education Service - The Wines of Sicily (LSE): Pleasant nose hinting at tropical fruit, some flowery notes, very clean.
Lemon and grapefruit, very refreshing, a hint of sweetness in the mid palate, quite long.