Di Meo's Alessandra Fiano di Avellino Riserva DOCG 2012 is a white wine built around time. Made from 100% Fiano grown at Vigna Alessandra in Salza Irpina, it was released after eight years in stainless steel followed by approximately one year in bottle.
That maturation period is the defining fact of this bottle. The technical sheet identifies the same sequence — eight years in steel and twelve months in bottle — while the tasting account describes nine years of aging in total. For a Fiano di Avellino Riserva, whose designation is tied to extended aging, Alessandra 2012 goes well beyond the minimum.
The wine in brief
Producer: Di Meo, Salza Irpina
Wine: Alessandra Fiano di Avellino Riserva DOCG 2012
Grapes: 100% Fiano
Vineyard: Vigna Alessandra, Salza Irpina
Harvest: Manual, from slightly overripe grapes
Maturation: Eight years in stainless steel, about one year in bottle
Alcohol: 13.5% ABV
The vineyard is documented at approximately 550 meters above sea level, with clay and semi-limestone soils and northeast exposure.
What the tastings report
Tasting accounts describe a luminous golden color, in one reference a bold golden-yellow. The aromatic and flavor descriptors reported across the sources include golden fruit, citrus, pear, apple, peach, apricot, hazelnut, almond, floral notes, honey, beeswax, smoke, herbs, and subtle hydrocarbon tones, with one account specifically noting citrus, oregano, and hydrocarbon nuances.
Despite nine years of age at the time of tasting, both the Campania tasting and the independent DoctorWine reference emphasize freshness, sapidity, balance, structural persistence, and a very long finish. In other words, this is a mature Fiano that is documented as remaining fresh and agile rather than tired.
DoctorWine presents Alessandra 2012 explicitly as an example of Di Meo's focus on the aging potential of its wines.
Understanding the Riserva label
Fiano di Avellino became a DOCG in 2003. The appellation permits wines with at least 85% Fiano, and the Riserva designation requires a minimum of one year of aging.
Alessandra 2012 fits that framework in two ways: it is 100% Fiano, above the appellation minimum, and its eight-years-plus-one-year maturation substantially exceeds the one-year minimum required for Riserva. That contrast is useful for readers: Riserva on the label signals extended aging as a rule, while this particular wine represents an unusually long interpretation of that rule.
How to read this bottle
First, check the vintage and maturation, not just the grape. A 2012 white released after nine years will look and smell different from a current-release Fiano: expect golden color, honey, beeswax, hazelnut and almond, smoke and dried herbs alongside citrus and orchard fruit.
Second, pay attention to structure. The documented profile pairs ripe fruit and honeyed tones with freshness and sapidity and a persistent finish. When tasting, look for that combination — depth of aroma with a fresh, savory close — which is what both tasting accounts highlight.
Production volume, current retail availability, price, import distribution, and a single standardized critic score are not established by the acquired sources.
