2015 Tenuta Sarno 1860 Fiano di Avellino 750 ml

Maura Sarno’s 2015 Fiano — “The Best She’s Ever Made”

In the tiny town of Candida, everyone knows everyone else — there are only about 1,100 inhabitants. When we visited last August with Maura Sarno, it seemed like the winemaker greeted half of them before we were able to slip away into her beloved densely planted vineyard.

Located 6.5 miles from Avellino and soaring some 2,000 feet above sea level, Tenuta Sarno 1860 is singular in every way. The lone vineyard is planted entirely to Fiano, and in most years, the estate produces only one wine — its Fiano di Avellino — in tiny quantities.

The choice to specialize on Fiano yields an extraordinary expression of terroir. The mineral-laden calcareous soils come through in the wine’s flinty minerality; cool summer nights appear as lively acidity; and ample, south-facing exposure is translated into rich, juicy citrus fruit. When the somms at Bar Boulud, Daniel, and Le Bernardin rave about “wines of place,” this is exactly what they’re talking about.

Vinous hailed Maura Sarno as having “successfully turned her small estate into one of Italy’s true wine stars,” adding that, “Today, there are few better white wines in Italy than her Fiano di Avellino.”

In 2015, Maura proved that to be true, and more, producing her finest Fiano ever. Once again, Vinous piled on with a 93 point score and the verbiage to match, calling the 2015 “spicy, complex, and very pure,” and “simultaneously thick, yet weightless.” “Check out the 2015,” Vinous recommended, “probably the best she’s ever made.” When Italy’s Gambero Rosso weighed in, it bestowed its highest award, “Tre Bicchieri,” to Sarno’s illustrious 2015.

Bright yellow-green in color, the 2015 Tenuta Sarno 1860 Fiano di Avellino shows fresh citrus, peach, pear, and honey notes on the nose, with secondary aromas of white flowers, smoke, and flint. Rich, juicy, and electric on the palate, with deep minerality and complex flavors of quince, pears, and almonds. Long and powerful on the finish, with refreshing salinity and a magnificent lava component. Immediately and irresistibly approachable.

93 points. $23/bottle. THE Fiano di Avellino of the vintage. Just 540 bottles are up for grabs. Sorry, no second chances.