Ballandean Estate released its 10th Fiano vintage on Saturday 17 September. Ballandean Estate winemaker Dylan Rhymer lends a sophisticated finesse to the rare white wine varietal, delivering a richer Italian style with mouth-watering acidity, grippy texture and mineral undertones.
Estate manager Robyn Puglisi-Henderson says, “originating in southern Italy, and widely grown throughout Sicily and the Campania region, Fiano is a premium alternative varietal. We made just 237 cases this year.
“The meteoric rise of Fiano’s popularity is a wonder to behold. We sell out of this great Italian white every vintage within weeks.
“We released our first vintage in 2012, which took out Winestate’s Top Alternative White trophy, and has continued to win critical acclaim ever since.
“Our 10th vintage of Fiano has high crispy acid, floral aromatics, tropical and stone fruits, hints of nuttiness on the palate and a sherbet-like finish.“
Fiano was first planted in Queensland in 2009 by Angelo Puglisi, the father of Queensland wine and Ballandean Estate founder.
Winemaker Dylan Rhymer says, “when deciding if we should plant Fiano here in the Granite Belt, we tasted as many different styles from Australia and Italy as we could.
“A lot of the Aussie ones were more fruit-driven, in the style of Sauvignon Blanc, while the Italian examples were more complex at higher alcohols, which we preferred. Characteristically, the Italian wines express subtle nutty aromas, with fresh pear, citrus and honey flavours enveloped by rich texture.
“Our Fiano is picked at almost 13 Baume. It’s 12.8 per cent alc to build weight in the palate and was handpicked in April 2022 at optimal ripeness. This gives us delicious stone fruit aromas with a touch of honey and citrus,” he says.
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Fast facts
Fruit: 100 per cent, Fiano single vineyard from Bellevue at Ballandean, 850m above sea level
Nose: Intensely aromatic, floral notes with hints of pear and pineapple
Palate: Dry, unoaked, tropical and stone fruits, hints of nuttiness, lengthy finish
Alcohol: 12.8 per cent
Price: $32
Closure: Screw cap
Drink: 2022–2023
Weight: Light to medium bodied, rich and textural, similar weight to viognier, pinot grigio and unoaked chardonnay
Winemaking: A mix of whole bunch and destemmed fruit was combined into the press. The juice was settled quickly in stainless before yeast was added. Stabilised, no finings added, filtered and bottled, unoaked.
