2009 Tenuta Vicario AGLIANICO CAMPANIA (Southern Italy)

A big, rustic Aglianico, with a very roasted nose/flavor profile and a broad texture.

Completely saturated black black ruby.  Low-toned and woodsy/brambly on the nose, with very dark blackberry fruit, and dark baker's chocolate and scorched earth.  Bone dry in the mouth, with very minerally-tinged cassis fruit, with pungent roasted herbs abounding.  Loads of medium-fine-grained tannins coat the mouth.  Good acidity, and full-body too, so the balance is nice.  It's just that the flavor profile is kinda rustic.  B for now, but it might soften and improve over the next 2-3 years.  I got this while eating at Pupatella pizzeria in Arlington (which makes amazing true Napolitana pizzas and fritture), and then took the rest home.  Imported by Michael R. Downey Selections, Lorton, VA.

Mom & Dad's Visit -- last coupla rounds

Mom and Dad have gone back to Massachusetts, but we went through quite a few goods wines during the last week of their visit:

2007 "Rosso del Vulcano" AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE -- This was an excellent, balanced, flavorful, traditional styled Aglianico.  Great, minerally, gravelly nose with deep winey, berry fruit.  Excellent balance and persistence.  Not too tannic and, best of all, no smell or flavors of new French oak.  ($17.99 from Houston Wine Merchant).

2009 Chateau Thivin CÔTE DE BROUILLY  -- Outstanding old school Beaujolais.  Gobs of minerally, rich, crunchy cherry fruit.  Vivacious and deep-flavored.  Smooth, clingy, and refreshing.

2009 Domaine Diochon MOULIN-À-VENT "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" -- This wine pointedly displayed  the typical difference between the neighboring Beaujolais applelations of Moulin-á-Vent and Cote de Brouilly (or the Moulins and ANY of the other Beaujolais appellations):  The Moulins are typically earthier, larger-framed, more structured and austere, and less overtly fruity.  (This one fit the profile to a "t".)  In a word, they are -- at least to me -- more challenging to drink.  Some would argue that makes it the best Beaujolais appellation.  I just think it's different, and I usually go for the non-Moulin style when I'm considering drinking a Beaujolais. 


2009 Leitz Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz RIESLING Spatlese (Rheingau, Germany) -- A fantastic, more than slightly sweet Riesling, with piercing peachy, apricot fruit, coupled with intensely minerally (almost petrolly) notes, and a dark tea leaf aspect.  Fantastically balanced, with outstanding acidity and a great, pure finish.  Loved it.


2010 King Estate "Vin Glacé" RIESLING (Oregon) -- This "fake" Eiswein (the grapes were harvested late and then frozen by the winemaker and crushed, as opposed to being harvested late while frozen, then crushed) was a fantastic buy in a dessert Riesling.  Intensely fruity, with loads of pure peach/apricot fruit, a tad bit of minerality, and intense acidity adding lift to the finish.  Was about $14 for the half bottle at Spec's on Smith, making it a steal for a delicious, lighter-styled  dessert wine.


2007 Selection Laurence Féraud GIGONDAS (Rhone Valley, France) -- A classically-styled Gigondas.  Loads of herbal, austere, iodiney-minerally fruit on the nose.  Fairly full, with that classic Gigondas austere feel, but with an excellent, clingy finish.  Great with winter stews and wine-braised pot roasts.


2008 Francine et Olivier Savary CHABLIS "Selection Vieilles Vignes" (No. Burgundy, France) -- A traditionally styled, austere, earthy, straw and broth-scented Chardonnay.  Lean, penetrating, and with loads of crisp, earth-tinged, apply fruit.  Very nice.

2006 Terra del Re AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE "Vultui" (Campagnia, Southern Italy)

A highly-extracted, tannic red that may not have the fruit to outlive the tannin.  Fairly nice now if you don't mind a bit of rusticity.

Completely saturated black ruby with a brickish tint.  Reasonably deep, low-toned nose of dark plummy fruit, menthol, and pungently minerally earth.  Intensely tannic in the mouth, with somewhat rough, mouthcoating flavors of dry blackberry and scorched, stony minerals.  Good acidity for such a big boy.  The tannin suggests more age is required to smooth it out, but the modest fruit concentration might not be up to the task.  I'm on the fence as to whether to drink this now or risk it and wait another 2-3 years.  B.  Was $22.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.  Imported by Empson Selections.

2007 Bisceglia AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE "Terra di Vulcano" (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

A very classically-styled Aglianico from this extraordinary, volcanic site.

Dark brickish ruby. Nose needs LOTS of air time to develop (use a Vinturi if you have one), as it was very closed for quite a while. Smoky, gravel and sandstone scents mingle with very ripe plum and blackberry juice. Very soft and lush-textured, with mineral/gravel-infused dark, ripe cherry fruit. Loads of fine-grained tannins. Finishes just a tad short, but still a very nice wine. 87. Imported by Winebow.

2006 Giubilo AGLIANICO IRPINIA (Campania, Italy)

A very good Aglianico, but not a particularly good buy at $20.

Very blackish ruby. Nose of tangy but ripe berries, with some dry, smoky gravel scents. Very low-toned, richly-fruited flavors of scorched earth, charcoal embers, and boysenberry jam. Medium length, decent depth, and full-bodied, but not particularly complex. 87. Was $19.99 at Central Market. Imported by Monarchia Matt International.

2005 Villa Matilde AGLIANICO "Rocca dei Leoni" (Campania, Italy)

A big, but austere and tannic red. Just missed the mark.

Sultry black ruby. Deeply earthy, gravelly nose, with high-toned minerality and some macerated dark cherry fruit. Weighty but austere in the mouth. Lots of tannin and acidity, with little fruit, and lean, minerally flavors. Despite not being the friendliest style, it actually went pretty well with stracotto (Italian pot roast braised in red wine), though it wasn't nearly as good on its own. 85. Imported by Empson. Was $24.95 at Central Market (which, judging for what it goes for on the Internet, was a rip-off).

2007 Casa d'Ambra AGLIANICO (Irpinia, Campania, Italy)

A bit on the thin, not-yet-ripe, and short side.

Black ruby color. Reticent nose of lemon-coated minerals and scorched earth, with a little (not much) spiced cherry fruit. Lean, almost spare in the mouth. Bitterish, peppery mineral flavors predominate. Some cherry brandy fruit underneath if you concentrate on it enough. Medium-bodied, with a short finish. 81. Was $15 from North Berkeley Imports (direct).

2006 Terredora DiPaulo AGLIANICO (Campania, Italy)

A while ago I implored Houston wine shops to start stocking Aglianico-based reds, and finally a few are showing up. This one is a broadly-flavored, weighty beauty.

Eye: Nearly saturated black ruby with a hint of brick.

Nose: Fantastic nose that changed over several hours. It started with a pungent, freshly-cracked black peppercorn, earthy character (which took me back to a couple of bottles of 1979 Cakebread Howell Mountain Zinfandel I drank a couple in the early 80s) dominating some deep-toned fruit that seemed almost overripe, but over several hours it morphed into an exotic perfume of spring flower nectar, plums, orange peel, talcum powder and dry rock dust.

Mouth: Dark, rich, mouth-coating flavors of sweet cassis, smoky charcoal/graphite, and sandstone. Nice balance, full body, and a long finish that I thought had a barely perceptible bit of residual sugar.

Score: 91.

Cellar or drink? This is drinking incredibly well now, but it's got the stuffing to last and possibly improve over the next 3 years.

Price/store: $22 at Spec's on Smith.