Terredora DiPaolo Aglianico Campania I.G.T.Italia: Campania
100% Aglianico (red)
2008
$14.99
88+ pts
My first taste of Aglianico, an ancient Greek grape that was transplanted by Greek settlers to the area of today's Italian region of Campania--a magical area, with Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast--thousands of years ago. In the glass, this wine is a striking ruby color, with an attractive clarity and legs (or tears) that reflect its ABV content of 13 percent. The nose is equally as appealing, offering just the right amount of barnyard for my taste, as well as cherries, some white pepper, and a hint of toastiness. The mouthfeel is light--a bit too light, I think--and the taste profile (which, to be honest, is a bit of disappointment following the nose) features youthful cherries, maybe some licorice, flower petals, and a unique (in a good way) minerality on the finish, something I've found more common on the finish of dry whites, as opposed to reds. The length is nice...the licorice transitions to florality which ends with a lingering minerality. I can certainly see why some expert tasters have rated this southern Italian red 90 points, with this much depth and character at fifteen bucks. But the barnyard earthiness I enjoyed on the nose (and the ripe cherries, too), once I got this wine in my mouth, seemed to vanish: the barnyard disappears entirely, and the ripe cherries seem unripe, green, on the palette. Still, it is an interesting wine to try, and since it's my first-ever taste of Aglianico as a grape, I'm inclined to go 88+ points, for interest and intrigue (and the originality of the mineral finish). A MUST TRY? Not for my palette right now. I feel about this Aglianico sort of the way I feel about Alicia Keyes: I don't generally love her music, but I sure-as-hell know she's one talented artist.
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