WTN: 2004 Terredora di Paolo Aglianico d'Irpinia, Campania

I ordered a glass of this ($9.00) at Vivace Restaurant, Raleigh while dining on the patio. Viscous. Dark crimson color with limited transparency. Attractive nose of violets and dark fruits, mainly cherries, perhaps some plums. (A sales note on the 2005 vintage mentions fig, plum jam, spice and leather on the nose but no mention of violets or other flower scents.) Cherries and plums on the palate. Very appealing.
A glass of Barbera might have paired better with the delicious Bologna Rigatoni with goat cheese crema, but I really enjoyed the Aglianico and will look for some to purchase in the future. Suggested pairings anyone?

I ordered a glass of this ($9.00) at Vivace Restaurant, Raleigh while dining on the patio. Viscous. Dark crimson color with limited transparency. Attractive nose of violets and dark fruits, mainly cherries, perhaps some plums. (A sales note on the 2005 vintage mentions fig, plum jam, spice and leather on the nose but no mention of violets or other flower scents.) Cherries and plums on the palate. Very appealing.
A glass of Barbera might have paired better with the delicious Bologna Rigatoni with goat cheese crema, but I really enjoyed the Aglianico and will look for some to purchase in the future. Suggested pairings anyone?

JC, I really really like the white wines from Terre Dora di Paolo. My favorites are the Greco di Tufo, and the Fiano di Avellino. Of course these wines are form the south, namely Campania. Lovely wines that are creeping above the $20 and even fast closing in on $25 in my location. Sorry am not versed in Aglianico.

Wine Merchant in Raleigh lists the Aglianico but notes they are currently out-of-stock. I will have to check sometime if they have the white wines you mention. I did see on another wine shop's website that they suggest Aglianico with pizza, pasta, cheeses, goat, etc. I thought the one I had was perhaps too fruity for such pairings but it may have been atypical. Other sites compare Aglianico to Syrah and call it robust, etc.

... Other sites compare Aglianico to Syrah and call it robust, etc.

It's also often called "the Nebbiolo of the South." I don't think of Aglianico (one of my favorite grapes, BTW) as quite that aromatically distinct, but it's similarly late-ripening and certainly has the tannins to compare with Nebbiolo. I often find tar, spice, and coffee notes to accent the red and black fruits. I don't recall encountering black pepper, so while it's often robust, I'm not sure I'd compare it Syrah. There are some nice inexpensive versions from Basilicata (you might look for "Ars Poetica" or some of the Tenuta del Portale bottlings) to go with the Aglianico del Vulture DOC offerings, which tend to be a bit pricier. But my favorite Aglianicos come from Campania. Taurasi DOCG is the most highly regarded, and the Irpinia DOC I believe overlaps and extends Taurasi in the Avellino province. Mastroberardino is one of the most famous names, and the story I've read is that after a family feud, one side got to keep the brand but the other got the vineyards--and that's what became Terredora. One of my favorites in the $20-or-so category in Caggiano's "Salae Domini." But lots of other areas in Campania produce fine (and less expensive) Aglianicos, such as Villa Matilde's Falerno di Massico rosso (from near the coast) and Cantine del Taburno's "Fidelis" from the north. Cult-y and/or Cotarella-ized bottles include Terra di Lavora and Montevetrano, neither of which I've tried, and Villa Matilde's "Vigna Camarato," which I have (the '98 was okay, but a bit too chocolate-oaky for me). Another modern-styled Aglianico is de Conciliis' "Naima," which I really loved when I tried a bottle of the 2000. As for food pairing, I may not be the best person to comment because I'll drink it with just about anything. But if you agree that's fairly tannic, that sort of steers you to red meats. I particularly like it with grilled pork chops and baked pasta dishes like lasagna. A lot more than you wanted to know, probably, but the subject of Aglianico gets me started....

A lot more than you wanted to know, probably, but the subject of Aglianico gets me started....
Clinton McSherry


No, Clinton. I am grateful for the specific tips and will check out what is available in the Raleigh area.