Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with: red meats, roasts, game and mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here is a "super Calabrian" blend of Gaglioppo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 Arvino is a shapely and opulent expression from southern Italy with good intensity and a defined mouthfeel. Compared to many of the softer and less linear red wines of Calabria, Arvino shows a focused sense of firmness and structure at the back. The bouquet is redolent of dried fruit, cassis, pressed red rose petal and exotic spice. This wine should age forward for the next five years.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.