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Tag Archives: aglianico

Feudi di San Gregorio Serpico Rosso Irpinia 2018, Campania, Italy

13 Monday Dec 2021

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$40, 5 stars, 92 points, aglianico, campania, Italy


This Aglianico is opaque and murky, a deep shade of garnet with slim legs in the glass.    The nose is showing bottle age- prunes, stewed black fruit, caramel, game, blackberry, coffee bean and black truffle.  The palate is fresher than I thought it would be.  Clean flavors of blackberry, coffee, game (also some bacon fat), caramel and a touch of the prunes/stewed fruits.  The wine is dry and the tannins are pretty integrated now but they have a presence- remember…. this varietal is extremely tannic in youth.  It’s not a very acidic wine but there is balance with the fruit, structure and body (mid to full).  The finish is medium but dominated by the tannins which have by now started to grip. A nice, mature Italian red that has softened with age, picked up tertiary nuance and will drink well till 2025.  I am pairing it with sausage and collard infused Arrabbiata on a bed of garbanzo pasta.  Should be interesting.  92 points for this $40 bottle makes it a 5 star effort.  Salut….

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Salvatore Molettieri Vigna Cinque Querce 2012, Taurasi DOCG, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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$40, 4 stars, 92 points, aglianico, campania, Italy, taurasi, VWTC


Third up in the line at our 22nd virtual wine tasting even twas this Aglianico.  Opaque with thick legs that showed off the 15% ABV.  On the nose the panel got blueberry, violets, tar, charcoal, black raspberry, tarry smoke, forest floor, black licorice and pencil lead.  One person noted it to be Port-like.  On the palate it was a tannic beast.  Almost searing even with 9 years of bottle age.  It’s difficult to discern flavors when all you can sense is the astringency covering even square inch of you gums and teeth but we did manage to coax anise, blackberry, cherry, smoky tar  (or tarry smoke!) out of the glass.  As mentioned- super tannic, it had medium acidity, medium body and a medium finish which made it a 92 point wine in my book.  After some decanting time it softened up quite considerably and came into its own.  At $40 it is an interesting way to discover the varietal from Campania, which is due east of Naples.  4 stars with a drink by 2030 window.  Salut….

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Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2014, Campania, Italy

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

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$17, 3 stars, 89 points, aglianico, Italy


I last had the 2011 Nativ Rue a while back but remembered it for an obscure reason.  The original shipment was heat damaged and really nasty.  The vendor sent me replacements, but the name has stuck with me.  When I saw the 2014 vintage, I had to try.

A nice shade of purple in the glass with thick legs belaying the 14% alcohol.  On the nose I get blackberry, chocolate, oak and vanilla bean.  The palate is a touch austere with black currants, capsicum, sour cherry and raw oak.  It’s a bit off-putting to be honest.  There’s quite an acidic sourness that is hard to ignore, it fights with the green tannins to take over the palate.  The wine is a bit one-dimensional with all eyes on the tannins and opposing acidity.  I’m gonna give this wine some time in the cellar, it deserves a chance, after all an Italian Pro gave it 96 of his make believe points.  I’m going with 89 for now, but I really think it has potential.  I enjoy the Aglianico grape, but this one is really young and imperious.  Give it time.  Cellar till 2022 or aerate it and drink till 2030.  I paid $17, which makes it a 3 star effort.  Salut….

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Nativ ‘Eremo San Quirico’ Aglianico Irpinia Campi Taurasini 2015, Campania, Italy

09 Sunday Jun 2019

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$30, 4 stars, 91 points, aglianico, campania, Italy


Wow- 99 points form one critic, I just had to try it!  Then I realized the pro in question rates on a different scale. It looks pretty dark in the glass, but there’s an effervescence appearing on the top that concerns me- either a tainted glass or something in the wine.  On the nose I’m getting currants, cherry and bramble.  The palate is quite sweet, with layered blackberry jam/blackcurrant reduction.  This wine is very thick and juicy, loaded with fruit extract.  There’s a nice dose of tannins that gently appear on the midpalate, melding with the dark fruits and carrying the wine to a nice, balanced finish of black berries, black currants and black tea leaf.  There’s a Ribena note right at the end that I’m enjoying.  This is a solid 91 pointer that will drink nicely till 2024.  I’m going 4 stars at $30 for this Aglianico.  Salut….

If you look close- effervescence in the glass

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Nativ Taurasi ‘Rue 333’ 2011, Campania, Italy

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, aglianico, campania, Italy


I bought some of this wine earlier in the year but the bottles were damaged in shipment.  The vendor sent me replacemens once it cooled down.  I’m glad they did!

The wine in nearly black in the glass.  The nose of blackberry and violets has an oaky touch that adds a certain delicious factor.  It’s more of a vanilla bean flavor but it is appropriate here.  The initial tastes of black fruit get melded with some very dry tannins that really get to my gums.  The wine transcends the mid palate with a shift to plums and coconut.  The dryness really reaches a peak on the finish where the fruit flavors meet spicebox.  I don’t sense an abundance of acidity which would help the wine’s cellaring potential, but think it will last until 2020 at the very least.  I hope some secondary flavors evolve, I’m optimistic.  It is 100% Aglianico, which happens to be one of my favorite grapes.  91 points. It gets 5 stars for the value it presents at $20.  Salut….

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Guardia 33, Guardiolo 2007

01 Friday Jun 2012

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aglianico, sangiovese


On a recent trip to Las Vegas we had dinner with friends at an Italian restaurant. I was tasked with the wine list and told that Zinfandel was her favorite varietal. After perusing the choices, $14,400 for 1982 Petrus was not an option. (did you know it is the most counterfeited wine in this town?). I asked if she liked Pinot Noir, to which she answered “I like tannic wines”. Done.
Aglianico is fast becoming one of my favorite wines. Google it’s pronunciation so you can get it right.
The waiter raved about the Guardia 33, so we decided to go for the $60+ Reserva. Without going into great detail, it’s a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Aglianico- a fearsomely tannic grape that gives a purple punch right across the palate if not tamed and aged. You know how I love Sangiovese, so that’s a given. Mixed with the Aglio, a powerful combination that has been aged in the right amount of oak for the right amount of time. I’m not gonna mince around here folks, 5 stars in my book and an easy 90+ wine. Cherry on the nose, dark fruit on the well balanced palate and that ever present tannin structure inherent to Aglianico. Just beautiful, with a lingering finish that makes you want to lick your purple stained teeth. I need to find this at home, hoping its in the $20 range so I can stock up. Loved it….

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ARS Poetica ’01

20 Sunday Nov 2011

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aglianico, Italy


Made from the Aglianico grape from the Vulture region, this has to be one of my favorite wines.  If you have never heard of or tasted Aglianico, you must.  Very tannic in youth with high acidity it has the backbone and stuffing to reward cellaring patience.  This particular wine is from the 2001 vintage and is hitting it’s stride nicely. I have tasted it on several occasions in the past two years and it just keeps getting better.  Black in color, full of fruit and smooth tannins- you’re gonna love it.  If tasted blind, you would swear it is Italian, no doubt, but unlike the slightly more fruity Barolos, this one has something special.  I would serve this with Lamb, or Pot Roast, something slightly more fatty as the Tannins really help meld the flavors.  A definite 5 star plus wine that should be rated by the pro’s.  If I were one, this would be a 93+ and a bargain at that- very high QPR (Quality Price Ratio). PS.  I drank it after dinner, and did so because I wanted to taste the wine fully, without detracting with food.  MMMMM, MMMMMM, GOOD!

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