2017 Falnghina del Sannio Vigna del Monaco .Ocone

Tasting Notes — Ocone Vigna del Monaco Falanghina 2017

The 2017 Vigna del Monaco by Ocone expresses Falanghina in a mature and quietly powerful register, shaped by a warm vintage that lends generosity yet maintains varietal precision. In the glass, the wine shows a deep straw-yellow core with golden highlights, a sign of evolving character and moderate bottle age.

The nose opens with layered intensity: ripe yellow peach, baked apple, and quince paste leading into candied citrus peel, chamomile, and dried wildflowers. Underneath the fruit lies a subtle mineral imprint — hints of chalk dust, wet stone, and delicate salinity — along with an elegant evolution of tertiary tones such as mild honey, hazelnut skin, and a faint herbal note reminiscent of fennel frond and bay leaf.

On the palate, the wine is broad, textural, and confidently mature, with a rounded entry that develops into a more structured mid-palate. The fruit remains warm and sun-kissed, supported by an acidity that has softened with time yet still provides linearity and freshness. The finish is long, savoury, and slightly phenolic, leaving impressions of citrus zest, white almond, and mineral tension.

Well-suited to pairings that match its evolved profile — grilled seafood, rabbit with herbs, aged caciocavallo, risotto with lemon and thyme — the 2017 Vigna del Monaco stands today as a beautifully developed Falanghina, expressing both provenance and vintage with quiet confidence.

Structured, mature, and compelling — a wine that rewards attentive drinking.PM 88