Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A dark, dense nose of forest berries melds with tones of violet and delicate warm spices on the nose of this enveloping red. It is plush at first on the palate, but then the structured tannins take over. All the while, tart berry flavors fill it out, with a tangy mineral tone and bright acidity pushing it along. It has the structure and intensity to hold well in the cellar, but is still quite enjoyable now. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Inhabiting the arch of Italy’s boot, this southern, mountainous region has a relatively small amount of vineyard area under vine. Basilicata has one DOCG for its prized red grape, Aglianico, Aglianico del Vulture Superior, which is limited to the slopes of an extinct volcano. The best whites are made of Malvasia bianca.