Perhaps one of Campania’s best-known wineries what think I of their 2018 Aglianico?
On the nose I am transported to the Greater Naples area of Italy with black cherry, cherry liqueur, blackberry and smells from the Bay of Naples. The aromas are high toned as if they are floating about in a rocket beam to the nose. There is a bit of tar as well which is a characteristic of red wines grown in the volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius. On the palate sweet red cherry, smoke all in an elegant and understated frame. May I dare to say somewhat of a dainty and aristocratic wine and where or where is a piping hot Neapolitan pizza to serve with this wine?
The best Campanian wines like Aglianico, Piedirosso and Lacrima di Christi have an ability to sucker punch you being so understated and smooth you can go through several glasses and the bottle is gone. Light and spacy and eminently drinkable suitable for so many dishes of Campania.
Aglianico arrived from Greece brought by the Phoenicians. Aglianico is a corruption of the Italian word for Hellenic “Ellinico”. The Greek influence in southern Italy is enormous. You’ll see “Greco” throughout Sicily and Campania. There are even remote villages in Sicily that speak an ancient Greek dialect!
Mastroberardino has several small vineyards in the Vesuvius archeological site.
(Mastroberardino Irpina Aglianico DOC 2018, Mastroberardino, Artipalda, Italy, $23.95, LCBO # 93112, 750 mL, 13%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).
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