Aglianico, ( ah-LYAH-nee-koh) a red wine Italian grape found primarily in Southern Italy can either be a varietal ( 100% Aglianico grape) or used in blends. Hot climate and volcanic soils are the perfect combination for this grape to flourish. I found this variety at the Addison Goody Goody liquor store (one again the wine manager Robert assisted me) in a 2005 Rubrato Aglianico Dei Feudi di San Gregorio which ran approximately $17.00. This wine is from the Campania region home to Naples, Mount Vesuvius and of course the beautiful Amalfi Coast. I invited Jane and Meredith to join me again for a taste testing. After reading about this grape, I decided to decant the wine for an hour and glad that I did because after the first sip, Jane commented that it made her “gills quiver”. The second sip was so much better as we paired the wine with a pungent pasteurized cow’s milk cheese, Robiola di Bosco which was strong enough to hold up to the strong tannins and high acidity in the wine. We tried a softer cheese and fruit but they were definitely overwhelmed by the wine. Later I served a spicy and tangy Pasta Puttanesca with black olives, tomatoes, anchovies, and capers. This dish was a great choice to balance the intense concentration of flavors in the wine. Once again, I discovered a wine that reached it's potential with the right food pairing and of course the perfect company~
Salute!
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We sampled the Rubrato Aglianico Del Feudi di San Gregorio last evening and overall found it a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteThis 2006 vintage was dry, sharp and quite tart, but had aromas of spice and cranberries.
The wine also left a slight bitter aftertaste.
At $ 18 per bottle, I would rate this wine as a poor value.