I read an article recently in the New York times on wine
made from the Aglianico grape. I am so glad that this grape and its region is
being noted for the delicious wine it produces. Famous oenologist Denis
Dubourdieu has said "Aglianico is probably the grape with the longest
consumer history of all."
What’s very cool is that Aglianico is thought to have first
been cultivated in Greece by the Phoceans from an ancestral vine and was
brought into Italy by settlers spread to various points in the regions of
Campania and Basilicata. In ancient Rome, the grape was the principal component
of the world's earliest first-growth wine, a wine called Falernian. Gladiator
wine!
In its youth, Aglianico is can be very tannic and concentrated
and powerful requiring a few years of ageing before it can be totally approachable.
It’s deep garnet in color with whiffs of chocolate, earth and plums.
But big wine is great; I like it and seek it. As Aglianico
ages, the fruit becomes more pronounced and the tannins more composed with the
rest of the wine. Think full-bodied with firm tannins and high acidity,
providing them with good aging potential. It’s can be very not-aggressive. The
rich flavors of the wine make it appropriate for pairing with rich meats such
as lamb, beef or a rich pasta dish. The grape is sometimes blended with
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot too.
So for you drinkers of Barolo, Bordeaux, Napa Cabernet and
good Rhone. This is where it’s at.
…by the way the white
grape is called as Greco di Tufo, the grape was commented on by influential Pliny the Elder, the maker of some of
the highest-ranked wines in Roman times and also author, naturalist, and
natural philosopher
There are write ups on all this in Hugh Johnson’s wine books as
well as Oz Clarke’s which is always a great read. You can re-read those guys,
good stuff. Good wine books to own for entertainment and research.
Anyways, in Basilicata, Aglianico is where the region's only
DOCG wine, Aglianico del Vulture, and is concentrated in the northern area of
the province of Potenza. The most sought-after of Aglianico del Vulture come
from the vineyards located in and around the extinct volcano Mount Vulture.
In Campania (the third-most-populous region of Italy...extremely historical), the area in and around the village of Taurasi
produces Aglianico's only DOCG wine, also called Taurasi.
There’s more great Aglianico to be had in the province of
Benevento. In Campania, it is also in grape of Aglianico del Taburno and
Falerno del Massico.
So Where are the best places? Aglianico seems to thrive in
volcanic soils, especially at higher elevations on hillsides that also have
some limestone mixed in. That’s a great scenario for a hearty wine.
It really all adds up to the profile for greatness. So seek
it out. Ask for it.
The wines can be both powerful and restrained, they can age
beautifully, and they can be both soulful and reflective, deep especially when
grown in the best places and produced by dedicated wine makers.
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