Aglianico
This is a fun and different grape. It is not for the faint of heart – these wines are big, tannic, and there is a rustic side to them. They are from Campania – south of Naples, Italy – so they come by their flavors and winemaking traditionally. At OSL we have a few Aglianico based wines for you to consider:
For $16.99, we offer the Terradora Aglianico. Lots of dark cherry, bramble, chocolate and some spiceness. The tannins are a bit tight when you open the bottle but improve with time. For the earthiness, just imagine the hilly, rugged terrain of southern Italy and you have a pretty good idea of the flavor palate. We drink this for an everyday wine paired with all versions of foods with red sauces or off the barbeque.
The best Aglianico wines are from a region called Taurasi. The grapes are grown at higher altitude with a bit more attention to detail. The flavor palate is similar but this grape really benefits from time – if it is labeled Taurasi, it means it has been aged for 3 years and spent at least one year in wood. The flavors evolve to tobacco and tar, lavender and spiciness. And the tannins are less obvious in these older wines.
But the Taurasi wines are a bit more expensive. We have the Terradora Aglianico Taurasi and the Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi. I think they are both delicious and would encourage you to try both and compare. Feel free to let me know which you prefer.