When first opened, this varietal Aglianico was a bristly, growling beast, fierce and unyielding: reductive, bitter, with little discernible fruit within its stiff and wooden armature. By the next day it had transformed, fairytale-like, into a gamine youth: blooming with soft berries and plum fruit and buoyed by supple, tobacco-inflected tannins. This experience suggests holding it for five years or, if you must open it soon, giving it at least two hours in a decanter then pairing it with the roasted, smoked, and savory.
14.5% abv | $48 (sample) Imported by Terlato Wines International
