2023 Fiano, Carlomagno, Puglia

“Southern Italian winemakers have always been reliable providers of gutsy red wines at lower prices than their northern peers. These are wines made from grape varieties with names negroamaro, nero davola, aglianico that are suggestive to the point of onomatopoeic of their deep-dark, sweet-sour, heady characteristics. And they have a loyal following among British Italophiles looking to bring some of the warm south to northern shores. In my experience, the Mezzogiornos white wines cant count on quite the same loyalty or recognition. Is there a sense, perhaps, that we cant quite square the sun-baked vineyards of Campania, Puglia or Sicily with the freshness that we want our white wines to provide? Possibly. Or it may be that it took a while longer for winemakers in the region to make wines in a way that fully displays their local white varieties strengths. Either way, the easy, open charm of fiano the ripest of citrussy fruit, some peachy fleshiness, a ripple of sea breeziness is very much apparent in Puglias great-value Carlogmagno.”

“The 2017 Carlomagno Fiano from the Salento peninsula in Puglia - you know, the so-called boot of Italy - is utterly charming. Named after the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, and produced by the celebrated winemaker and consultant Stefano Chioccioli, its light and fresh and full of sun-baked melon, banana and citrus fruit. In other words, perfect vinous fare for a British winter ”