2018 Joaquin Piante A Lapio - Campania - 1 Bouteille (0,75 l)

93 pts Vinous
The 2018 Fiano Piante a Lapio is impossible to ignore, with a cascade of minty herbs and citrus sorbet accentuating freshly sliced nectarine. This smooths over the palate with silken, near oily textures, perfectly offset by a core of zesty acidity as ripe pit fruits and hints of ginger swirl throughout. It finishes long yet remarkably fresh and potent, leaving a lifting air of menthol and confectionary spice to linger on. This is Fiano at its absolute finest. The Piante a Lapio is sourced from 80-to-100-year-old Fiano planted in high-altitude volcanic soils. It is fermented spontaneously in chestnut and acacia wood casks and aged in those same vessels for nearly five years. - By Eric Guido on March 2024

Raffaele’s “Piante a Lapio” is truly outside of category. Made from 80-to-100-year-old Fiano planted in Lapio’s high-altitude volcanic soils, it is fermented spontaneously in casks of chestnut and acacia from local forests, and aged in those same vessels for nearly five years with no topping up. Incredibly, it develops a yeast veil just as a Jura wine would, although “Piante a Lapio” is marked notably less by veil-derived elements than a Jura Savagnin. This unorthodox aging regimen manifests itself in a combination of breadth and salinity, but variety-typical notes of lemon confit and jasmine still manage to ring strongly through the wine’s manifold layers. A stunning testament to Raffaele’s unique vision, “Piante a Lapio” avoids any trace of gimmickry and comes across as a wholly singular and profound creation.