March 16, 2022 - Cherry, slight blueberry, earth, spice, slight tobacco, slight floral, good acidity. Some tannins but pretty open. Drinking well.
November 26, 2020 - Initially this is the same as my last note which is why I'm already drinking my other bottle. But in tracking this over three nights it seems like it's opened a bit. It's so narrow initially that it's possible it was just shut down hard. The fruit feels much richer now. There is some figgy cheery. Fleshy feel with a touch of sweetness. Still that leather hanging around. And still not all that complex. But still, there is something here now that wasn't the first two nights. Going to track it for a fourth night. I'd have to say leave this be honestly. It might awaken with a few more years in bottle or more.
March 31, 2020 - Massive tannin here still. Strong, broad acidity. Lots of leathery expression. Very Old World. Fading notes of cherry. Not much else going on really. This isn't dead but I don't think the fruit was ever very interesting with this. The structure would say this should age quite a while but there really isn't any fruit density for aging. Have this with some fatty foods. That acid and tannin wall is big.
November 17, 2016 - Nice QPR at $14. Young yet with tannins showing through. Aglianico is typically slow to evolve. Time will help flesh this one out a bit more. Dense and with reasonable structure. Pepper, dark cherry, pine, a bit of leather with a nice tannic bight finish. Went great with eggplant lasagna. A nice alternative to Chianti. A Campania classic. Did not decant, but would recommend a several hour one to open this one up. 89+
November 15, 2016 - I was underwhelmed. Decent but I will not buy it again. Paired reasonably well with lamb. But appears to be on its last legs.
June 3, 2016 - Very good Aglianico. No formal notes, but hickory, tobacco, and cedar aromas were all pronounced. Bracing acidity on the palate in agreement with other notes. Would probably benefit from the right food pairing. "Very good," 88/100.
March 5, 2016 - Not decanted, one glass consumed over ~1 hour. Medium plus acidity and medium tannins at the forefront, overshadowing dark fruit and smoky meaty aglianico fruit. Were the acidic structure a little more restrained and in balance, I would be a bigger fan of this. I'm not sure whether the fruit will survive the time needed for this to mellow out, but I wouldn't rule it out. 86-87 for now.
January 28, 2016 - Nicely structured with deep fruit balanced with moderate tannins and acidity. Very enjoyable and well priced. It has the aglianico smokiness without the rough edges that typically need time in the cellar to soften up. Not complex and interesting like a Taurasi but also only $13. More of simple good wine. Altogether too easy, I wish I had gotten more.
January 28, 2016 - Dark red with enough tannic structure and acidic balance to pair well with red sauce and sausages or grilled meats. I really need to drink more of these.
December 3, 2015 - Had this with a hearty pasta dish with Italian sausage as the meat component. Juicy with nice acidity. Smooth tannins. Developed some meaty and herbal aromas as it sat in the glass. This was a very enjoyable wine that I would buy again. I'm beginning to really enjoy these southern Italian wines!