Dense ruby with a barely faded edge, staining with good legs. Beautiful nose, nailing all the dark fruity things down into a nice cherry age-reduction of pomegranate nectar while the chocolate and tobacco tertiary development is just pouring out of it even though it is only five. Nice green briar but it’s a polished sort of briar–search everywhere and the funk and vegetal weed are just tiny tiny OMG breaths in the background. The subtle aroma of a well-made and comfortably-aged red soothes all takers.
Tasted SIX vintages of this variety today as a guest of Tenuta del Meriggio:
2011 Aglianico DOC bottle
2015 Aglianico DOC bottle
2011 Tourasi Aglianico DOCG bottle
2014 Tourasi Aglianico DOCG bottle
2016 Tourasi Aglianico barrel
2017 Tourasi Aglianico barrel
But this post is about my WINE OF THE DAY: the 15.
I found the 2011 DOC and 2012 DOCG slipping in terms of fruit/oxidation level, heavy brick and over-all too-old fabulousness. Enjoyable drinks–both–but nowhere near this 15 DOC, which stole the show, AND–despite NOT informing them of this WOTD status, they chose to serve it as the only red at a big winemaker and local politico dinner. It’s like they read my mind.
In the mouth, age definitely plays a hand. Gobs of jammy reduced fruit: raisins and nutmeg and cardamom crammed up in a package fraught with a little bit of imbalance caused by tannins and acidity so huge. But there’s a wall of dark fruit that lingers behind it–impossible to ignore and is its saving grace. This needs about 4 hours in a decanter then you possibly can approach it. So much going on in the nose, entry and finish I feel a little sorry for the middle, which is so overwhelmingly dense and perfect, it gets overlooked like your one kid who gets really good grades effortlessly. There’s a herbaceous sort of rosemary oil and herbs de Provence thing going on in the finish that I could really get addicted to for its savory viscosity coupled with the dense cherry and patina.
There’s just literally NOTHING not to love about this wine. LET’S DRINK MOAR AGLIANICO.
2015 TENUTA DEL MERIGGIO Aglianico DOC Irpania Campania Italy 13.5
If you have a couple more minutes, read my full wrap-up on this winery and ALL their wines: GETTING TO KNOW AVELLINO
Stephen McConnell 
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