Should the great white wines of Campania be aged? Well, that depends on the grape variety. A top-quality Falanghina can use just a year or two in the cellar to blow off its reductive notes and harmonize its flavors. Fiano, meanwhile, with its coiled minerality and taut structure, is capable of aging beautifully for years.

Most consumers, of course, rarely get to try either of these wines with the proper amount of aging, as they are generally released and consumed shortly after they are bottled. Today, though, we are lucky, as we have two wines from top producer I Pentri that illustrate exactly why it is wise to be a little patient with these wines.

First is their Falanghina "Flora" 2022, which offers a look at this grape as it enters its ideal drinking window. Now two years after harvest, the wine’s initial edges have softened, bringing balance and highlighting the grape’s inherent brightness and expressive character.

But even more exciting is the chance to experience I Pentri’s beautifully aged Fiano "L’Amore Delle Api" 2019. Now more than five years after harvest, this wine is just hitting its stride, revealing the depth, complexity, and mineral-driven character that makes Fiano one of Italy’s top white wines.

Together, these two wines provide an ideal side-by-side comparison. Start with the Falanghina, served with a simple Caprese salad of mozzarella and tomato. When you get to the main course, it’s time to serve up the Fiano — a rich shellfish dish would be ideal, but this is a wine with sufficient structure and complexity to stand up to chicken or perhaps eggplant parmigiana. Take that, white Burgundy!

I Pentri, Falanghina "Flora", 2022 $29.99

I Pentri, Fiano "L’Amore Delle Api", 2019 $37.99