Luigi Moio takes the Falanghina grape to soaring new heights. The Quintodecimo 2021 Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo is the result of 20 years of research and experimentation, I am told. Professor Moio's dream of a vintage that balances both alcohol and acidity was realized in 2021. With fruit from a site located from 300 to 440 meters in elevation on calcareous clay soils, this wine offers fresh and exotic tones of tropical fruit, kiwi and green papaya. However, there is a unique textural richness to the wine (care is taken during decantation with methods inspired by Chardonnay in Burgundy) that feels glossy and silky but never too waxy or heavy.

The 2020 Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo offers a fascinating and complex bouquet with soft orchard fruit, honey and creamy peach. However, this wine does not have the same high-toned tropical notes that we see in the 2021 vintage. This wine plays its best cards in terms of texture and mouthfeel, with balanced fruit weight throughout. The wine is tart and fresh. In fact, Luigi Moio calls it a "northern wine" because it maintains its acidity so well.

The Quintodecimo 2018 Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo is so silky and fine, the wine literals glides smoothly over the palate like ice skates. Along its silky journey, it imparts notes of orchard fruit, honey and Golden Delicious apple. It's hard to imagine a more sophisticated and intriguing expression of Falanghina than this release of 33,000 bottles. Its fine pedigree and importance open the grape up for a pairing to shellfish and prized sea foods.

This is a terrific wine, and although it does not share the same tonic focus that we saw in the excellent but cooler 2016 vintage, the 2017 Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo comes very close indeed. The bouquet is redolent of sweet lemon and grapefruit with soft accents of mountain herb or wild basil. Of course, you can count on that pronounced minerality or salinity that comes across in all these wines. These Falanghina vines were planted in 2004, and we are coming up to some very interesting production years for those plants.

I'm not sure Falanghina can get any better than this, but I leave that as an open question given the enormous promise that is locked within this classic vintage. The 2016 Irpinia Falanghina Via del Campo (from a single vineyard in Mirabella Eclano) is steely and bright with fragrant tones of Amalfi lemon, wild basil and blanched almond. Briny or salty notes give focus and sharpness. The aromas are direct and immediate, yet this wine offers more volume and staying power than any of its peers. There is more substance and texture to carry this wine forward over the palate. I am very encouraged by this beautiful Falanghina that is aged partially (70%) in stainless steel and the rest in barrique. Some 22,166 bottles were made.