2019 Unti Fiano
2019 Unti Fiano
Region: Dry Creek Valley < Sonoma < California
Grapes: Fiano
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; canned without fining or filtering
Winemaker: Mick Unti
We love Mick Unti, and have known him forever. He’s one of the old-school guys who’s been farming organically and making wine in a very low-intervention way from the start. He doesn’t identify as a “natural” winemaker – for him, this is just the only way to make wine. Mick planted 1.1 acre of the Southern Italian varietal Fiano in 2012, thinking it would respond well to the warm Mediterranean climate of Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley. They were right - it is spot on, showing classic Campanian Fiano notes of honey, beeswax, almond and pear. Mick says he chose to ferment and age in concrete to retain its varietal character -- which we think was a great call, as oak would only muddy the waters and take this wine into Chard territory. Dry and crisp with beautiful fruit and zippy acidity, this wine is very European and begs to be served at a long, lazy, boozy lunch in the sun, Capri style…..