Antica Masseria del Sigillo, Campania IGP (Italy) Fiano 2018

 Everyone is allowed her or his favorite, but with that open-minded pablum out of the way, Fiano is the greatest white variety of all southern Italy, and quite possibly all of Italy.  Carricante can be great, but it can’t obviously be great without Etna beneath its roots, and Pinot Bianco is French, after all, so let’s duke it out — with me taking Fiano.  This bottling from 2018 was my first taste of this wine, and the two of us are off on a mad romance.  It is fully medium-bodied, leaning toward the plus side of that, but has superb acidity that is very well integrated, as well as a wicked mineral undertow that lends complexity while also making the wine seem as though it stems as much from rock as from sunny fruit.  But then, it is very juicy and seductive too, with tangerine and nectarine flavors that really assert themselves until the mineral tones kick in again.  The push-pull of fruit and minerals and acidity is really quite compelling, so much so that the wine is as interesting hours after opening as it was at first blush.  At $15, this is among the best bargains I’ve tasted all year, and I’m over 4,000 wines and counting.