From the south of Italy comes this almost black wine, made from Aglianico grapes.  I once had a waiter correct me on the pronunciation, which is technically “ahl-YAH-nee-koe”.  He insisted that it was Ag-lee-a-nicko.  His tip was commensurate to his wine knowledge…..

Anyway, I digress.  Aglianicos are tannic monsters, and this particular wine was tighter than a drum.  I had to pry it open with my Vinturi just to coax any semblance of juice from beneath its lurking , brooding shell.  Once there, it showed off some really nice blackberry and bramble.  A hint of earth and some flowers were noticed.  Extremely tannic, almost like painting your teeth with purple tannins, yet surprisingly fresh.  This wine is already 5 years into its aging and is still an infant.  The acidity is setup for long term cellaring, which should allow this wine to evolve, mellow and show itself much better.  It would be unfair to judge it too soon, however- 88 points initially and 3 stars for now.  I have more, and will re-taste them in the future after a severe decanting for several hours.

If you have never had an Aglianico, they are really delicious when ready, very similar to Tannat and perhaps Nero D’Avola from Sicily.  I enjoy these varietals as off-the-beaten path wines, they offer intrigue and spice up my cellar.