Aglianico

Aglianico is often called the "Barolo of the South". It's cultivated primarily in Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Molise. The variety is thought to come to Italy via Greek colonists during the 8th century B.C.

The color ruby to brick red. Generally full-bodied, with soft tannins and high in acidity. Palate of black cherry, blackberry fruit with hints of violets and wild strawberries with notes of licorice, bitter chocolate and black pepper.

Currently we carry Elena Fucci, 'Titolo', Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata 2004

"Fucci is the owner of some of the highest-placed vineyards in all of Aglianico del Vulture. He started making his own wine in 2000 with the help of friends at nearby Paternoster. A schoolteacher by trade, Fucci built a cellar under his home and named the project Elena Fucci, after his daughter, who now attends oenology classes in Pisa.

This is a true "garage" operation. The Fucci vineyards, at an altitude of some 2,000 feet on a lava flow named "Titolo," yield a miniscule 35 hectoliters per hectare of immensely concentrated wine.

Fucci's octogenarian father, also a Generoso, still tends each of the vines he planted as a young man. He digs a small moat around each vine, severing lateral roots and training the vines' roots to dig deeper into the soil. This gives more concentration, more complexity, and more taste of the earth to the grapes.

The soils in this region are a series of layers of "pozzolana" volcanic ash from the successive eruptions of now-extinct Mount Vulture, which looms over the area to the north. Some layers are dense and hold water throughout the summer, while other layers act like gravel and easily drain water. It's ideal terroir for vines, and similar to regions such as Pauillac, with its clay and gravel layers.

Fucci "Titolo" is a deeply colored wine, with a nose of cassis and black cherries and herbs. Always full-bodied and generous with ample tannins, "Titolo" will reward cellaring."- www.northberkeleyimports.com