As I’ve mentioned before, I’m highly impressionable when it comes to certain drinks-related things, whether it be an article about coffee or Oregon pinot gris, and the articles from the Art Of Eating are particularly persuasive. They’re not always the most fluidly written, but the curiousity and passion of the writers always comes through and is the most enjoyable aspect of the magazine. This article held particular sway over me since it was both passionate and about a wine I’d never heard of before.

So I went out and grabbed up the couple of aglianico wines that I could find, but really it was only a couple, and none was an Aglianico del Vulture. This isn’t necessarilly a bad thing – we got to try some good and intriguing wines. It became clear that aglianico grapes definitely produced a unique wine, one with depth; deep dark flavors of fruit and contrasted with something grittier (in flavor terms), leather or tar; and strong tannins.

But having not yet tried an Aglianico del Vulture, there was a part of me that was still curious, still keeping my eyes open for one in a shop. And it took a long time, months in fact, before I finally stumbled over one. I quickly grabbed it up, and tonight we opened it to have alongside a dinner of cheese, bread, and garlic soup. Excitement!

Grifalco is a fairly new winery, having produced their first vintage in 2004 (this one!). They grow only aglianico grapes, from 16 hectares in the DOC. The Grifalco bottling, their basic bottling, is aged for about two years, 80% in stainless steel and 20% in used American oak barrels, before being bottled. They also make a version named Bosco del Falco which is a step up from the Grifalco, and in 2007 they began producing a single-vineyard wine from Maschito.

So, how does Aglianico del Vulture (from Grifalco anyhow) stack up? The wine is deep, dark red, straight to the edges of the glass. The nose speaks of dark, red fruits – black cherries, with something lingering at the edges, something minty. The tannins are very strong in this wine, gripping the palate. Flavors of cherries and 85% bittersweet chocolate dominate, with some herbs sticking their noses in. Front to back, the tannins speak loudly. The finish wraps up with a lingering taste of tobacco, mint, and cherries, but is dominated by the tannins. In fact, the finish is the most tannic part of the wine, leaving a mild astringency in place.

On the whole I like this wine, but it doesn’t come across as very complex one. Very drinkable, and good for a cold, late-Fall evening, and given its price tag ($15) I’d comfortably buy this again.

What this wine really makes me think though, is that someday I’d like to get my hands on a Taurasi DOCG wine. Taurasi is located  in Campania, whereas Aglianico del Vulture is a DOC in Basilicata. Nonetheless, Taurasi is very well-thought-of denomination, is 100% aglianico, and is often considered the pinnacle of aglianico’s potential. In terms of following the lure of the aglianico grape, my impression is that a nice Taurasi (which are somewhat pricey) is the last step. One day…