Winemaker Notes
Aglianico is an ancient Roman varietal that produces red wines of remarkable structure and great elegance. On the nose the Aglianico has aromas of red fruits, with notes of chocolate, cassis and coffee. It is a full-bodied wine, with firm tannins and fresh acidity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A firm and savory red that has notes of black cherries, sage, dried orange peel and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, compact and driven, with chewy tannins. More mineral and earthy finish. Try from 2025.
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Vinous
Chile offers ample space for exploring new grape varieties, exemplified by La Colezzione del Maule. The 2021 Aglianico del Maule, sourced from Loncomilla and aged for two winters in used oak barrels, presents a garnet hue. It unfolds with sour cherry and herbal notes, accompanied by plum marmalade infused with dried flowers. Dry, taut and compact, its structured mouthfeel is sculpted by firm tannins. This is an outside-the-box red for Chile.
Making its home in the mountainous southern Italy, Aglianico is a bold red variety that is late to ripen and often spends until November on the vine. It thrives in Campania as the exclusive variety in the age-worthy red wine called Taurasi. Aglianico also has great success in the volcanic soils of Basilicata where it makes the robust, Aglianico del Vulture. Somm Secret—The name “Aglianico” bears striking resemblance to Ellenico, the Italian word for "Greek," but no evidence shows it has Greek ancestry. However, it first appeared in Italy around an ancient Greek colony located in present-day Avellino, Campania.
Maule is the Central Valley’s most southern and coolest zone, reaching a southern latitude of 35°S, yet it is still warmer and drier than Bío-Bío to its south. The Maule Valley enjoys success with a unique set of grapes.
It lays claim to the local variety, Pais (synonymous with Tinta Pais, which is actually Tempranillo), which has dominated much of the region’s area under vine until the recent past. Now many growers, not confined by the tradition and regulations of the Old World, also successfully grow Cabernet Sauvignon.
While Maule’s total area under vine remains relatively static, its old Carignan vineyards are undergoing a great revival. The VIGNO (Vignadores del Carignan Vintners) group, an association in charge of promoting this long-forgotten variety, is getting fantastic results from the old vines in its dry-farmed coastal zones.
The Maule includes the subregions of Talca, San Clemente, San Javier, Parral, Linares and Cauquenes.