New Arrival
2018 Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino ‘Tognano’
This wine comes from the first vineyard that Ercole Zarrella and Aurelia Fabrizio planted. It sits 550 meters above sea level and is considered the best vineyard site for Fiano in Lapio.
Organic farming practices, woman-winemaker, and only 250 cases produced.
$35.00
Out of stock
This small family winery was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Ercole Zarrella and Aurelia Fabrizio, together with Ercole’s brother Antonio. The estate is located in Lapio, a small village near Avellino, on the green hills of Irpinia, a particularly ideal location for the Fiano grape. Having dedicated their lives to the land and vineyards of the area, in 2004 the trio began crafting and bottling their own wines from this unique territory. In fact, Ercole was among the first growers to believe in the potential of the Fiano grape, replanting his family’s old vines (despite their reservations) with this important white variety from Southern Italy.
The Rocca del Principe philosophy is simple: low production in the vineyards translates to higher quality in the cellar. This principle is the basis for all decisions throughout production. All vineyard work is carried out to reduce yields and in respect of the environment. No chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used and green harvests are carried out in generous seasons. Careful attention in the vineyard and cellar, paired with a constant endeavor for improvement, results in distinctive wines that are representative of both the territory and the people from which they come.
This wine is 100% Fiano, the original pre-phylloxera clone planted in 1990. It is grown in Lapio’s district of Tognano, 550 meters above sea level. The soil is calcareous clay of volcanic origin.
Rocca del Principe owns about 10 hectares (25 acres) of land, 6 (14.8 acres) of which are planted to Fiano and 1.5 (3.7 acres) to Aglianico. The Fiano vineyards are planted on two opposite sides (north and south) of the Arianiello hillside, one of the most suitable areas for this important white variety thanks to its proximity to the Picentini mountains, which help to regulate heat and emphasize the difference between day and nighttime temperatures. The vineyards on the south side (Contrada Arianiello, Contrada Lenze and Contrada Campore) tend to have a hotter and dryer climate, with calcareous clay soil, and wines tend to be richer and fruitier. The resulting wines from the vineyards of each side are then blended, creating a single harmonious Fiano di Avellino that highlights the best from each vineyard site.