Unico Zelo River Sand Fiano 2022
Ten meters above sea level in what effectively is a ‘desert'. Very sandy soils. Sourced from a certified Organic and biodynamic vineyard called Bassham in Barmera in the Riverland, South Australia. Here, fiano requires one eigth of the water that varieties such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon requires, making it particularly well suited to the Australian climate.
River Sand from 2022 is the pick of Unico Zelo's single vineyard Fianos. Here there is ample ripeness with lots of texture and mouthfeel. But none of it is overdone. Flavours of green apple, quince and golden nectarine are balanced by some chalky plus a nutty edge bringing some savouriness. It's an ode to the wines of Campagna in Southern Italy, as Noah (part of the winemaking team) tells us. At this price, it's a no-brainer. - Ches Cook, FWC.