(2024) Lots of talk on the back label about this wine, and its Sangiovese red partner, offering a 'bold new twist' on tradition. It's made by giant Australia-based Accolade Wines, distributors of numerous brands. Both wines are IGT Terre Siciliane from Sicily. Fiano di Avellino from Campania is the icon of this variety, and this shares the basic characteristics of gentle honey, herbs and lemon. But it is as if the dial had been turned up in terms of talcum-powder and floral perfumed aromatics, and sweetness on the palate. To that end, for me it does come across as slightly too 'manufactured'. A hint of residual sugar adds to nagging feeling of marketing being the driver, rather than a rather more unforced honesty. No doubt this will appear with a pound or two off fairly regularly.
(2021) A wine I've tasted in a previous vintage and really enjoyed, but I think this one ramps up the pleasure principle even further. The Grillo grapes are partially dried in the sun before fermentation, a technique traditionally used on Sicily for sweet wines, but here the wine fermented to dryness. That creates some unique textures and flavours in the wine, which pours a pale gold colour and opens with honey, nuts and grilled peach. In the mouth there's a leading edge of really sweet, ripe and plump juicy stone fruits, the texture quite creamy and full. A relatively gentle lime acidity gives the balance here, the subtle honeyed note still there into a very decent finish. It's £8.99 as part of a mixed six bottles at Majestic, but for once I think the headline £9.99 would still be money well spent. Watch the video for more information.
(2020) A certified organic white from Sicily, increasingly the source of interesting mid-priced and elegant white wines of character. There's a touch of talcumy, powdery florals on the nose, pear fruit and a litle herby note adding subtle complexity. In the mouth it has real presence for a 12.5% abv wine, a grippy, nectarine and peach skin character, a touch of yellow plum skin too, dry and with a definite saline lick to the acidity, its a wine that balances sweet mid-palate fruit and fresh, salty acidity very nicely. Daily Drinker club members buy for £9.00.
(2017) From Sicily and made from a blend of grapes including the local Insolia and Cataratto, but also a little Chardonnay, this is like walking through a lemon grove into an apple orchard. It's all about filigree lightness and clean, delicate flavours in a light-bodied format, and yet there is some real fruit concentration on the palate and a long, crisp finish as those lemon groves hove into view again. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.
(2017) Sicilian Zibibbo has been building a bit of a following in recent years. Though it's an Italian synonym for the Muscat grape, the Sicilian version tends to play down the more pungent floral aromatics of the variety, and add a touch of extra weight and texture. This opens with a touch of Muscat florals and exotic fruits, green grape freshness and a touch of lime peel waxiness. On the plate its like crunching a chilled grape straight from the fridge, lots of sweetness and tartness, plenty of verve and citrus tang, in a dry wine with some richness but crispness too. Daily Drinker members buy for £8.10.
(2014) DOC Mamertino, from Messina. A blend of Insolia and Grillo, which is pleasing, fruity, with tiny floral and exotic peach down notes to apple fruit and citrus. The palate has open, lightly tropical fruit with nectarine and peach skins giving just a little grip, and lovely freshness. It blooms with a sweet mid-palate, very crowd pleasing and fruit forward, but the tight grip of the cool acidity in the finish is excellent.
