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Yes, indeed it is!
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Absolutely - and of course, they are not that far apart; but in terms of in your face volcanic terroir, this is what I think of with Ag de Vulture… this is the view of the eponymous volcano from vineyards in Venosa; Elena Fucci’s are half way up the mountain itself and they harvest late October into November.
whereas Taurasi looks like this
JR in her atlas says that on the one hand the Campanian ones are more reliable, the vineyards on the slopes of Mt Vulture can be “better value” (than Taurasi) and better than those from the plains surrounding the volcano.
But, hey, I’m only reporting my personal experiences and preferences…
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As Mike already said, Taurasi is also volcanic (like nearby zones for Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo).
When I lived in Naples at least, it was generally accepted by all that Aglianico was indeed of Greek origin (like the various “Grecos”, of course!), despite the fact that it is now (almost?) unknown in Greece. That’s unless ampelographers have come upon new evidence in the last 20 years, of course!
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Sorry in JRWG she has totally de-bunked that. Fear of copyright incursion prevents me from screenshoting the relevant evidence. It’s Italian !!
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I picked this up in Aldi, where their ticket said it scored 91 pts in Decanter. Greenish tinge is suggestive of the lime that comes through strongly on the nose and palate. My wife thought there was some honey there too, and I see what she means, but it is definitely not honeyed. (Does that sound daft?)
Not a 91 for me, but not at all bad for £7 or so.
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Enjoying a couple of nights at Bowood House Hotel in Wiltshire. We recently bought the Alder Ridge Sparkling Rose from the vineyard (Cobbs Farm shop between Marlborough and Hungerford on the A4 who are also the producer). Very pleasant on a warm evening.
Pale salmon pink, persistent mousse. Light nose. Strawberry. Brioche notes. Light palate. Fresh acidity. Dry. Refreshing, strawberry fruit. Medium finish.
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Where is the line between white and rose …. That is pretty close …
Ah ok, fair enough!
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Couple more greek additions to this week’s repertoire.
First was left to us by the owner of the house we rented.
The next one I picked up at a fancy supermarket nearby. It’s got two medals and old vines pedigree.
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Society Exhibition Hermitage 2006
Now that the weather is a bit cooler red wine seems palatable again! I wanted something to drink with some good Pecarino Riserva cheese and had the last glass of this left in a bottle that I’ve Coravined.
I’m going to have to rhapsodise about this, as this was the last glass of a half case and I’m going to miss this wine. This is drinking better than ever, there’s nothing jarring, just lots of sweet dark bramble fruit, tannins all softened, woody earthy aroma. I’m sure there are finer Hermitage if you spend the money, but this has been a great ride over the past few years and I’m just sorry it’s at an end…
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BBQ night tonight - rack of lamb with lots of garlic and rosemary, cooked with lots of dried rosemary clippings for a subtle smoke.
Needed something powerful to accompany, and as I’m away for a couple of nights decided to get my penultimate bottle of this out:
Now I’ve had mixed experiences with this wine. A bottle in Feb ‘21 was a treat, a subsequent one disappointing. Fortunately this one is a hit.
Opened 2hrs early and double-decanted (loads of sediment, so necessary) the nose moves from red to richer black fruit. Full bodied, this has high acidity (great with the lamb), rich fruit and is thickly textured, but with the structure to balance it out. Black and some red fruit, liquorice, spice and smoke. Powerful, but not reliant on alcohol - only 13% from a hot year is good going. Great food wine and plenty in the tank.
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I think I still have one or two bottles at home. Glad to hear it’s drinking well
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Had a single bottle at Christmas - absolutely fantastic stuff.
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I disagree about the somewhat dubious assertion of a connection with Spanish, though - there isn’t much “llano” anywhere that Aglianico grows, and in any case the grape always shows a preference for volcanic terroirs that are usually anything but flat!
Monday I made vegetable curry and boiled some rice to go with it. To drink we had
2021 Cambalala Pinotage (South Africa, Western Cape)
We were looking for something in Aldi in Porthmadog and I had to check the wine shelf. Cambalala is an own label of Aldi, so the wine supplier can - and does - change vintage to vintage and even mid-vintage, but I was intrigued to see by the W&SB seal on the neck of this one that it had been bottled in the Cape,
so it wasn’t bulk shipped, which is a plus for me, so I decided to take a punt.
It was a matter of minutes to check the identifying A921 number on the back label to find the it was from Origin Wines - a reputable large Cape winery supplying many own labels.
I was pleased with the wine, over delivering at the price point with a lively freshness and bright berry fruit.
Tuesday
I made Puttanesca Sauce in which I stirred Penne and served it with mixed salad and Mrs M’s favourite, the no-brainer ™
2020 Casa Vinicola Roxan The Wine Society’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo)
Reliable drinking pleasure, as always.
Wednesday in the evening we had a supermarket Indian - chicken tikka shashlik for Mrs M and chicken tikka jalfrezi for me with mixed vegetable masala and naans and another reliable friend grabbed from the ready rack.
2020 Beyerskloof Pinotage (South Africa, Western Cape)
Thursday I made chilli sin carne served with pita bread and
2019 McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah ( California, Lodi)
Beautiful full bodied red with a streak of chocolate.
And so an end to a pleasant week, the first this year when I have felt warm.
(Cambalala from Aldi, Beyerskloof from Sainsburys, others from TWS)
Thursday afternoon we took a long walk, the wheat is ripening nicely and must be close to harvest.
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My other half bought me a bottle of Batailley 2010 for a previous birthday. I think she paid £50 from TWS so I think yours is a fair mark up.
She wanted something ready to drink, and this is what TWS advised, but the reviews I saw suggested it still needed more time. I’ve given it another year but how was the one you had drinking? Is it time to open it soon?
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It was absolutely delicious @mrptaylor, decanted only about 30 or so minutes and it lasted ages- I always think great wine drinks slower - very smooth well integrated tannins and a fabulous medium to long cassis finish.
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Great, very useful, looks like I’ve found my Xmas lunch wine for later this year…
I had a couple of the '10s last year which were lovely but I still have a couple I’ll leave for a year or two.
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