2009 Epicuro Aglianico (81 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, November 11, 2011

VINTAGE

2009

WINERY/PRODUCER

Epicuro

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Aglianico

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

N/A

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.5%

PRICE PAID

$4.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought this bottle at Trader Joe’s after reading about this producer in their monthly newsletter (The Fearless Flyer).

BOUQUET

Being a VERY young wine, the bouquet is almost nonexistent.  There is a hint/suggestion of black fruits (blackberries and plums), along with a rumor of oak, earth, and spices.

TASTING NOTES

Trader Joe’s advertised this wine along with another one or two of Epicuro’s Italian red wines and at $4.99 a bottle, I just HAD to give this Aglianico and the their red blend a spin (Salice Salentino (80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera)).

I really liked the Salice Salentino.  Sadly, I cannot say the same for the Aglianico. 

My only other experience with Aglianico is with Paso Robles’ Caparone, which makes a fantastic Aglianico.  Admittedly, the last Caparone Aglianico I had was their 2006 vintage, which has years of barrel and bottle aging on this wine.  Perhaps this wine is simply way too young?  Either way, a winery should only release a wine once it’s ready to be consumed.

On the plus side, this is a rich, creamy, well-balanced wine.  There isn’t an abundance of red or black fruit; the wine’s most prominent attributes are cream, earth, and oak, along with very supple tannins and a very well-integrated structure.  The wine simply doesn’t have much depth and/or complexity of character/flavors.  Yes, there are some Zinfandel-like attributes like black fruit, spices (mostly black pepper with suggestions of some savory herbs like rosemary), earth, oak, and cream.  But whereas a quality Zin has depth-of-flavor that goes miles deep, this wine only scratches the surface.  Perhaps a few more years of bottle aging would help.  As of today, this is a pretty flat wine that isn’t worth the affordable price of entry.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

Just like the Caparone Aglianico, this wine would pair well with a nicely-spiced steak, a hearty stew, or spicy/curried lamb shanks.  We had this wine with penne with a sausage, peppers, onions, and tomato ragu; the wine did not pair at all well with the pasta.  If you have this bottle or like Aglianico, stick with steak, stews, and spiced meats.

AGING POTENTIAL

Like most Italian red varietals, this wine would probably age pretty well for several years (maybe decades?).  If you bought this bottle at Trader Joe’s and took advantage of the great price, you’ll want to cellar your bottles for at least 3 or 4 years.  This might actually be a nice red after 5 to 10 years of bottle aging?!?!

SCORE

81

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

Fair

WINERY WEBSITE

Unknown