Aglianico in Its Own Right

hi. If you are around in Naples you will find for sure all the local Taurasi wines. But better to visit Irpinia, would be less than one hour and you could enjoy locally in the wineries....

There is an outstanding Aglianico made by David Coffaro at his Dry Creek Valley vineyard in Sonoma. https://david-coffaro-winery.myshopify.com/products/aglianico?variant=5702741753885

For a world that is awash in wines why has it taken so long to highlight these fine wines. I was lucky enough to know Bernie Fradin of Quality House Wines in NY who introduced me to Aglianico wines almost 35 years ago. These wines are hard to find in my neighborhood but worth searching for.

Eric, You hit the jackpot with this week’s column. I didn’t count one snarky remark.

One of my goals in life is to visit Paestum and reflect on human history while drinking one of Bruno De Conciliis's beautiful, biodynamically cultivated, Aglianico-based wines produced only about 12 miles south of the ancient Greek city. Eric, if you can find De Conciliis's cuvee Latoscuro you should give it a try. It's Aglianico that is fermented partially with Fiano skins and aged nearly five years. Easily one of the most unique (and tasty) wines I've ever had the pleasure to drink. It is rare but should be available in NYC as the importer lives there.

Cantina Ciani (formerly Vinanda) in Mirabella Eclano, province of Avellino also makes an excellent Taurasi, although not widely available in the US. It should be a stop on any wine tour of southern Italy.

"This recipe is a riff on the traditional pasta alla puttanesca, with tomato, capers, olives and garlic, but without the anchovies. I went bigger on the fish front, with chunks of seared swordfish." Come now. Puttanesca is made with anchovies for good reason. Swordfish is a riff on puttanesca the way "Pretty Woman" is a riff on "Klute." As for aglianico, it's a hit or miss proposition at best simply because no one will age it for as long as it has to be. It doesn't have that respect. When the miss occurs, and it will, slice peaches and let them soak in the wine for a day or two. The peaches will be delicious and the aglianico will have actualized its purpose in life.

Truly agree with the author that Aglianico wines are under appreciated. The wine panel highlighted only some interesting wines from the larger wineries in the Taurasi region. In my travels through Campania, I discovered Azienda Vinicola Cardinale, one of a few boutique wineries in the area, which produces a limited selection of superb Aglianico wines among them “L’Esche” and “Cento Ceppi.” Each wine displays the unique characteristics of the terroir from which it derives. The L’Esche has flavor of berries, black cherry, vanilla and balsamic, while the Cento Ceppi is more complex and intense with flavor of ripe red fruit and balsamic. These wines, as well, contribute to the outstanding Aglianico wines which Taurasi has to offer. As the author infers, they are and should be viewed in a league of their own.

We denizens of the Northern California Foothills enjoy Aglianico and other Italian varietals at the Montoliva Winery in Chicago Park, appropriately located at about 2300 feet ASL. Mark Henry, the owner and winemaker, provides us with tasty, high quality wines in the true Garagiste tradition. There are some silver and gold medals among his collection, but he's not one to enter a lot of competitions. Instead Montolive maintains a bit of a special, rare and intimate mystique about it. I can only urge you to give Montoliva a try...you might find Mark's talent in bottling interesting and quality wines a treat.https://www.montoliva.com/about.html

"To get a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the aglianicos of Campania and Basilicata, the wine panel gathered in late February to taste 20 bottles from recent vintages". Man, that sounds like a great day!

I will be in the Naples/Amalfi/Pompeii area in July. Will I be able to drink this locally?

Years ago, when I first started to explore wine, I was told of the three great “B” wines of Italy: Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello. I embraced them enthusiastically. And then several years later, at a casual weekend lunch at Maialino in NYC, I drank an Aglianico served by the glass. And realized that the great Italian wines need to add an “A” to the list. Aglianico’s tannins can be intense, but somehow they don’t seem to be as fierce as Nebbiolo’s can be. The tannins in Nebbiolo drunk before its time can make the wines unpleasant. But somehow Aglianico’s tannins, even in young wine, seem right. The sensation of sucking on a chip of granite seems right and complements the aroma and acidity and minerality. And Mastroberardino drunk at its time is liquid joy. Thanks for showcasing the grape.

The author is absolutely right. I’ve been drinking aglianicos for years, during our summer stays in our family home on the island of Ischia. There is a wide variety of aglianicos available in southern Italy at prices that cover the scale. These wines are excellent, noble, have a very personal character that is defined by the unique composition of the soil and the climate in Campania and Basilicata. Once in a while I’ll find a bottle or two of a good aglianico in wine stores in New York or New England and they are not necessarily prohibitively expensive, as suggested by one of the readers. But, as the author says, they are fairly scarce and definitley under appreciated. And they are quite distinctive from the wines of Piemonte: niente da fare!

We've been enjoying Aglianico for several years. When we visited the magical city of Matera in Basilicata in 2015 we drank Aglianico del Vulture every day and always found them tasty. I don't believe I've ever had a bad one. To me, Elena Fucci's Titolo is the most impressive of these, though Paternoster and Bisceglia are cheaper and almost as good. The Taurasi are often a step up, especially Mastroberardino's. Also like Terredora di Paolo Taurasi. A noble, ancient grape. Why compare it to anything else?

If "the Barolo of the South" is an expression among growers in southernmost Italy, robust and fat and lusty as the wines may be, it will be a cold day on Vesuvius when they ever approach the subtlety and complexity of Nebbiolo. Asimov knows this. Why is he suggesting any plausibility in this comparison?

You really missed out not including any of the Salvatore Molettiere wines; an original source for some of the best Antonio Mastroberardino wines-turned independent producer. Serious quality without the prices and usually available with some age. Check them out.

I love aglianico. Two personal recs. for Aglianico Vulture are Siir on the less expensive end,and Titolo ,from Elena Fucci for a splurge.

What terrible glassware for these wines!

A big fan of Aglianico - one can find some really nice wines of this varietal that are quite affordable. That is, if people like Eric would stop writing columns like this... Cheers!

After loving this grape and wines for my entire 30+ year career, I found 1 row growing at the famed Red Willow vineyard in Yakima Valley. Since 2008 I have ben making Aglianico as a single variety from their. I only get about a barrel a year, but I treasure every drop.

One feature these wines as a group share with the Nebbiolo wines of northern Italy is that they are too expensive even for drinking on special occasions. At $50 and up would not be a go-to pick for a red wine seems to me.