Donnachiara farms Aglianico in Irpinia, the inland hill country of Campania, east of Naples. The grape is the south's most serious red, and Irpinia is where it keeps the most shape.
- Aglianico, Campania's late-ripening red grape.
- Irpinia, the inland hills east of Naples.
- 2019, a warm vintage across southern Italy.
- Full body, high acidity, high tannin.
- 13.5% alcohol, dry.
How it is made
Aglianico ripens late, often into November, hanging on the vine long after most reds have come in. That long season builds both the colour and the acid, which is why the grape carries structure that holds up over years rather than weeks. Irpinia is its stronghold, a DOC with volcanic and clay soils at altitude.
How it tastes
Blackberry and dark chocolate at the front, dried herbs behind it, and a firm, drying tannin that runs the length of the wine. The acidity is high, so it stays lifted even at this weight. Volcanic soil gives a mineral, almost smoky edge that sits underneath the fruit.
Good to know
Aglianico has been grown in these hills since before the Romans, and Irpinia is the same area that gives Campania its best-known reds. The grape is sometimes called the Barolo of the south, not because it tastes like Nebbiolo, but because it shares the same late harvest and the same ability to age.
Contains alcohol.
