A tradition of seeking excellence… This is the concept behind the new Fiano Alticelli. With its classic golden yellow color, this wine heralds the arrival of the warmer light of summer. And it serves as a link to the grape’s mysterious but undisputed origins in ancient Greece where it was greatly coveted by the citizens of Athens.
Even though Fiano is more widely associated with Campania, it has always been grown in Puglia where it has enjoyed a rich history among winemakers. But be careful not to confuse it with Fiano Minutolo, a more aromatic grape variety. We focused its efforts on “Pugliese” Fiano, the very same grape that arrived in our region together with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the thirteenth century. It was Frederick himself who introduced Fiano Pugliese in the township of Manfredonia (Foggia province), where the clay-rich and skeletal soils, with their low alkaline pH, made for the ideal terroir to grow this grape. It was an excellent match. The unique soil type gave the wines distinct aromas and flavors, complexity, and nuance. Broom, yellow grapefruit, chamomile, white rose are the descriptors commonly used in tasting notes on the wine.
Fiano Alticelli is named after a hill that was dubbed Cieli Alti (or Upper Skies) by Salento farmers. It’s not hard to understand why: You can spy the horizon from this area in Guagnano township, in the heart of Salento, and its slopes are bathed by a beautiful midday light. This wine seems to capture and then liberate this light in each glass. Its freshness delivers vibrant acidity on the palate and lime and flint in the finish — a wine that stands apart from the rest.
Its new label was created by designer Elisa Costa, who was recently awarded the prestigious BiolPack award. Wine lovers will notice the similarity with our Rohesia label, also designed by Costa.
