di Marzo. Aglianico Irpinia

Aglianico Irpinia DOC
Grape: Aglianico

Rich, powerful black cherry and blueberry fruit, a touch of spice and liquorice. The tannins are mature and supple. 13%

Link to Cantine di Marzo home page

This is a wine to catch and enjoy before it disappears.
Ferrante’s Aglianico is from a tiny vineyard in Santa Lucia, that lies at an altitude of 300m; the vines are old (the average age is 50+), the yields miserly and the terroir is perfect for Greco di Tufo.
I suspect it is only a matter of time before it is replanted, however Ferrante does like his Aglianico very much, so perhaps it will earn a stay of execution.

The terroir is a mix of sulphur, clay and limestone prevalent in this area. Trained using a cordon spur system at around 3000 vines per hectare, the vines are allowed twice the space of modern vineyards. All the work in the vineyard is by hand and the harvest is carried out towards the end of October.
The grapes are sorted before being gently pressed and fermented, using selected yeasts, in temperature-controlled steel tanks.
The fermentation is at a relatively high temperature and lasts ten days, aiming to obtain good colour and to control the tannin for which Aglianico is renowned. The wine is then matured in the old Taurasi barrique and tonneaux for a year, before being bottled with a further light filtration.