A gorgeous amber in the glass, this '92 Fiorano Bianco layers its rich stone and tropical fruits with citrus zest, crushed river rocks, butterscotch, fresh-cut herbs and honey, all conveyed in a luscious, viscous body that's nonetheless vibrant. While this complex wine displays slight oxidation, it thrums with acidity, giving it a rare balance of maturity and freshness. This mature white wine defies what we think we know about Italian whites, offering a tremendous drinking experience for wine connoisseurs; despite three decades of maturity, this powerful, stable white opens with hours of aeration to show a kaleidoscopic palate. Fiorano Bianco, crafted from organically grown Malvasia di Candia, is an unusual, rare white that stands the test of time and offers a picture of meticulous, organic winemaking as it was practiced decades ago.
Fiorano is the wine estate of Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi, the prince of Venosa. The estate is located in the region of Latium of Lazio. To say you have sampled the wines of the Fiorano estate would put you in the elite few. The rare and highly regarded wines come from the international varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the Rosso and Malvasia di Candia for the Bianco, and lastly a white wine made from the Semillon grape. The wines are the product of a dedicated and passionate prince whose avant garde approach was way ahead of its time. His whites took on a phenomenon for their ability to age, but became a true rarity as the prince was elusive and did not care to put the wines in the wrong hands. The story of the prince and his forgotten bottles is truly a gift to be shared and was captured by The New York Times through their chief wine critic, Eric Asimov in the December 22, 2004 edition of The New York Times. Read the actual article below and then be sure to read about
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