Collection: Aglianico

Aglianico is one of Southern Italy's great dark grapes, with roots believed to reach all the way back to Roman times. The earliest written mention dates from 1520, and the origin of the name itself remains uncertain. Despite common assumptions, DNA profiling shows no major kinship with Greek grape varieties, and both parents are still unidentified. Today Aglianico is grown primarily in Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.

With us, the majority of the wines come from Italy, and Basilicata accounts for the most. This is home to Aglianico del Vulture, a DOC that requires 100% Aglianico and yields deep, mineral wines with rich plum fruit. The grape thrives on volcanic soils and all the way up to 600 to 700 metres in altitude, where most other dark grapes struggle. The large temperature differences between day and night, often more than 10 degrees, help preserve acidity and build aroma. We also carry an Aglianico from Campania, the homeland of appellations such as Taurasi DOCG, known for smoky, spicy complexity with notes of red roses and sour cherries.

Aglianico is a late grape. Its ripening is slow and demands long seasons and relatively warm autumns, and in the high-altitude areas the harvest can begin as late as November. The thick skins provide resilience and allow the late harvest. The result is full-bodied, spicy red wines with high natural acidity and powerful tannin, which need fully ripe berries to find balance. In their youth the wines can be tannic and tarry, but they develop beautifully with time in the bottle. When the grapes are not overripe, fine, floral notes of red roses often appear.

The style spans widely, from fragrant and lighter wines to deep, age-worthy bottles, depending on terroir and production. In Campania, Aglianico is sometimes blended with Piedirosso to soften acidity and tannin, while in other parts of Southern Italy it appears alongside the likes of Primitivo and Montepulciano. If you are looking for a powerful, spicy red wine with mineral depth and the ability to mature in the cellar, Aglianico is an obvious choice.