A grape that can offer wines rich in body and tannin, which in the hands of skilled producers can restore structure but also a certain agility.
La vitis hellenica, hence the current name Aglianico, was introduced by the ancient Greeks in Campania, and from there it spread to Basilicata and in Apulia. Le zone dove l’Aglianico raggiunge i più alti livelli di qualità sono oggi quelle dell’ Irpinia, in Campania with Taurasi, and of the Vulture, in Basilicata. But we cannot overlook the Sannio, where it nevertheless offers interesting versions. Slight differences are observed between the grapes from the two regions, probably due to the selections that were made and the different soil and climate conditions.
Since more advanced growing and winemaking systems have been introduced in recent times, Aglianico has emerged as one of the most interesting grapes for the production of long-lived wines. This variety yields a wine Rich in body, acidity and tannin, structured and important, which acquires great elegance and finesse of aromas with aging. Although there is still plenty of room for improvement, the good results achieved so far show that the richness and variety of grapes in our country are just waiting for motivated winemakers to give great wines.
We selected two, both from the 2021 vintage, one from Vulture, from the I Gelsi estate, and one from Sannio, from the Janare of the La Guardiense cooperative.
Tenuta I Gelsi, utmost importance to Aglianico
From its grandfather’s vineyards, the winery produces wines of undisputed potential, on volcanic soils and with vines that are close to 50 years old. “We see ourselves in our most important grape variety, Aglianico, introverted, grumpy, sullen but capable of sweetness and delicacy with the passage of time“, says Ruggiero Potito. Dieci ettari quasi tutti ubicati a Rionero in Vulture, in the hamlet of Monticchio Bagni, a stone’s throw from the famous lakes of volcanic origin, and a small part in Melfi. Vigneti che esprimono attraverso i vini tutta la meraviglia e la potenza del territorio.
Janare – La Guardiense, a cooperative for quality
It is one of the most important and well-established cooperative wineries in Italy and churns out excellent wines at great prices. It makes use of a thousand member farmers who cultivate about 1,500 hectares of vineyards. We are in the Sannio region, in Santa Lucia di Guardia Sanframondi, and here at 350-450 meters above sea level, the Janare special project was born, a line of wines resulting from the first viticultural zoning carried out in Campania, a project focused on a third of the cooperative’s hectares.
TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.
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