About this WINE
Villa Diamante, Campania
Antoine and Maria Diamante Gaita at Villa Diamante are producers of sensational, uncompromising, and explosive Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo at their tiny 3.5ha estate in Montefredane, close to Avellino, Campania.
Antoine was born in Belgium, to parents who’d emigrated to the mines after the War. It was there that he developed his taste for and knowledge of French wines, particularly of Burgundy. Returning to Campania, Antoine and his American partner Maria Diamante started to bottle only in 1997, following years of selling wine locally.
Their vines lie at circa 400 msl on (Monte Vesuvius) volcanic soils, close to the village of Montefredane, in an area notable for Fiano. Harvests are late, yields are naturally low, space in the tiny cantina is limited and vinifications are allowed to run their course, with bottlings taking place once the wines have completed their cycle, often after two winters.
Tragically Antoine died in January 2015. Diamante & their son Enrico seem determined to continue Antoine’s great work .
Fiano
Fiano has been cultivated in southern Italy for over two thousand years and its best-known wine is Fiano di Avellino, which is produced in the Campania region, from vines grown on the volcanic hillsides of Avellino, east of Naples. The grape is low yielding and early ripening and produces crisp, well-balanced wines, often with hints of honey and nuts.
Previously Fiano-based wine were often prone to oxidation - however with the advent of modern winemaking techniques the wines are now renowned for their freshness and the best examples can benefit from 2-3 years of bottle ageing.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Explosive, smoky, volcanic, a dry yet full bodied expression of this emerging Southern Italian belle: rich, intense and fantastically complex with herbal citrus notes, a suave, creamy, almost buttery-Chardonnay esque roll, the 'work of art' complete thanks to the wine having undergone malolactic conversion, thereby broadening the mouthfeel. Statuesque, profound, demanding! Favoloso!
David Berry Green - Wine Buyer
Villa Diamante produce sensational, uncompromising, and explosive Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo at their tiny 3.5 hectare estate in Montefredane. Antoine Diamante was born in Belgium, to parents who had emigrated to the mines after the war. Returning to Campania, Antoine and his American partner Maria started to bottle only in 1997, following years of selling wine locally. This ripe, lush and full bodied Fiano is not a common one to be found due to its tiny production from a 3 hectare vineyard. Hint of coconut and smokiness makes it a good wine with a nice meal.
Valiant Ki, London Shop
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