On February 21, 2017, we tasted wines made from the Aglianico grape, a red grape and southern Italy’s answer to Nebbiolo (the famous grape in Barolo and Barbaresco wines)! Aglianico was the principal grape of the prized Roman Falernian wine and was praised by the Latin poet Horace. It was brought to the region by the Greeks almost 3000 years ago. This grape continues to flourish on the ancient black lava flows, producing full, deep purple, inky wines, redolent with black current skin, broad plum pulpiness and smoky lava aromas with welcome minerality.
The guest speaker was Aaron Bick of Wine Online. See below for the list of wines we drank.
How the Wines Ranked
The Wines
2008 Cantine Lonardo, DOCG, Taurasi $45 “A wonderfully mature, savoury, old school aglianico here, driven as much by mushroom, wet earth, forest floor and dried resinous herbs as it is by (dried) fruit, with extreme complexity. The palate is full, rich, and succulent, plush up front but firm on the back end, with extreme concentration and length. What a tour de force! What a mouthful of wine! What superb length! This has it all going on, ready to drink or hold mid-term.” Wine Align, 2015, John Szabo, 93/100
2006 Salvatore Molettieri "Vigna Cinque Querce" Riserva Taurasi $70 “Black cherries, licorice, incense, tobacco, spices burst from the glass in the 2006 Taurasi Riserva Vigna 5 Querce. Today, the 2006 is huge, imposing and virtually impenetrable, but with time in the glass the wine shows considerable depth and sheer richness. This is one of the more overt, textured Taurasis readers will come across. All the elements are in perfect balance and symmetry. Game, mocha, expresso, melted road tar and cloves are some of the many notes that are woven into the enveloping finish. This is one of the most polished wines I have tasted from Molettieri.” Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate 2013, Antonio Galloni, 95/100
2011 Nativ Taurasi DOCG $32 “Nativ’s 2011 Taurasi is an opulent expression with dark garnet hues and beautiful intensity on the bouquet. Dark fruit, dried blackberry, plum and licorice segue seamlessly to Spanish cedar, dark vanilla bean and Indian spice. The wine wears its oak element in heavy layers, but it does so comfortably. This is a modern rendition of Taurasi with great tannic management (thanks to the oak aging and warm vintage), soft fruit flavors and big power. The wine makes a positive impact on all the senses.” Drink: 2015-2020. erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate, April 2015, Monica Larner, 93/100
2009 Vinosia Santandrea Taurasi DOCG $33 “Harmonious and wonderfully aromatic, with a fine range of flavors, offering ripe boysenberry, mocha, star anise, black olive and sweet smoke notes. Framed by fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity, this shows both depth and elegance.” Drink now through 2025. winespectator.com, 2014, Alison Napjus, 92/100
2009 Tenuta del Portale Le Vigne a Capanno Aglianico del Vulture $35 “Full-bodied yet fine-tuned, with silky tannins lining the roasted wild berry fruit, dark mineral, grilled herb and ash. It is compact, featuring a finish of olive and earth.” Best from 2015 through 2022, winespectator.com 2013, Nathan Wesley, 91/100
2006 Salvatore Molettieri Vigna Cinque Querce, Taurasi $55 “The 2006 Taurasi Vigna Cinque Querce is an utterly impeccable, brilliant wine. Vibrant dark cherries, flowers, and minerals all flow onto the palate with remarkable concentration. The proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, the Taurasi Vigna Cinque Querce delivers incredible richness while retaining tons of clarity, inner perfume and harmony. This is a fabulous effort from Molettieri.” Drink: 2014-2026, erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate 2010, Antonio Galloni, 94/100
2011 Elena Fucci Titolo Aglianico Del Vulture $50 “The 2011 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo definitely shows the heat of the vintage with thicker aromas of blackberry preserves, barbecue spice, teriyaki sauce, liquid smoke and grilled rosemary twig. There's a sweet element to the bouquet that underscores the summer heat of 2011. That natural sweetness carries over to the palate where, not surprisingly, the tannins feel lush and soft. The mouthfeel is opulent and round with loads of blackberry and blackcurrant on the long finish.” Drink 2016-2025, erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate 2015, Monica Larner, 92/100
2010 Paternoster Don Anselmo Aglianico del Vulture $72 “The wine shows its youth in terms of fruit freshness and oak spice that is slowly being integrated into the fleshy richness of the wine. Having said that, the 2010 vintage also delivers amazing potential and pedigree. It offers the fullness of fruit and intensity found in the 2007 vintage with the elegance of 2008 and the mineral-driven personality of 2009. That assembly of moving parts finds perfect harmony in this current release. What is especially encouraging is the quality of tannins that offers firmness and structure without the astringency you usually get with Aglianico.” Drink: 2017-2032, erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate 2015, Monica Larner, 96/100