This post is part IV of a series called "Marvels on the Margins" which explores the over-looked regions of Italy. You can read the introduction to the series here, as well as Part 2 on Vino Nobile di Montepulciano here and Part 3 Trentino-Alto Adige here.
The first thing that everybody learns about Aglianico is that it’s kind of like Nebbiolo. Calling Aglianico the “Nebbiolo of the South” may sound trite, and yet it is helpful. Like Nebbiolo, Aglianico can produce powerful, long-lived, high acid, tannic wines that manage to seduce with compelling aromatics and elegance.
Some people resist this comparison. It belittles Aglianico, they say. And it obscures the important differences between Nebbiolo and Aglianico.
I don’t agree that it belittles Aglianico. It’s simply a fact that Aglianico does not have the international reputation of Nebbiolo. By comparing Aglianico to Nebbiolo, we are trying to raise its profile, and we’re arguing that it merits being thought about as occupying the same space. And it does!
But, absolutely, there are essential differences between the two grapes. Let’s not obscure those differences. Let’s enjoy them!
It starts with history. Aside from during Roman times, the South of Italy has always been a world apart from the North and the rest of Western Europe. Pre-Rome, when the North was ruled by the Etruscans, the South was ruled by the Greeks. After Rome, the Greeks (now thinking of themselves as Romans, and called by historians the Byzantines) again took control of the South, and then later the Spanish did the same. Meanwhile, the North enjoyed the Renaissance, and then later the Industrial Revolution. The differences between North and South continue to be plainly visible to anyone who travels the country today.
You can taste these divergent histories in the wines. Nebbiolo’s roses and cherries seem a world apart from the baking spice, blackberries, leather and coffee of Aglianico – flavors that seem to echo the Spanish, North African and Greek influences in the neighborhood.
Then there is the force of geography. Aglianico is grown further south than Nebbiolo, but it is also grown much higher up in the mountains. The vineyards are therefore equally cold, and sometimes even colder, with some harvests not occurring until November, or even December. The bigger difference lies in the soils: unlike Nebbiolo, much of the great Aglianico is grown in volcanic soils, usually ash, and sometimes also lava. This, again, is something you can often taste – a dark, distinct minerality that accompanies the tannins on the finish.
Yet overall I’m happy with the Aglianico-Nebbiolo comparison. If people calling Aglianico the “Nebbiolo of the South” brings attention to these great, but still under-appreciated, wines, then I’m all for it. Both wines are great, and both wines are worthy of exploration, but only one of them – Aglianico – can really be considered a “Marvel on the Margins”.
Here’s a quick summary of similarities and differences:
| |
Aglianico |
Nebbiolo |
| Tannic |
✔ |
✔
|
| High Acid |
✔ |
✔ |
| Good Aging Potential |
✔ |
✔
|
|
Sensitivity to Terroir |
✔ |
✔
|
|
Fruit profile |
Blacks and reds, but shades more black |
Blacks and reds, but shades more red
|
| Terroir |
Volcanic |
Limestone/sand |
| Spices |
Black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon |
Anise, sage, dried flowers |
Aglianico, the Grape
The usual story told about Aglianico is that the Greeks of Southern Italy started to grow it before Rome was even founded, around the 8th century BC. Perhaps it had actually been brought over by the Greeks from Greece, though, for what its worth, no genetic link has been discovered between Aglianico and any Greek variety. Perhaps it is a native Italian variety that was simply first exploited by the Greeks. Either way, the association with Greeks was thought to be strong enough that it explains the grape name, with “Hellenica” (meaning Greek) morphing into Aglianico under Spanish rule.
The truth is, grape history is really hard. Nobody wrote about Aglianico prior to the 1500s. We have no way of knowing whether Aglianico contributed to any of the famous wines that were consumed in ancient Rome. And we don’t really know why it is called Aglianico.
We do have a clear picture of its status today. Aglianico is the noble grape of two regions, Campania (where it makes Taurasi and Taburno and some other less famous DOCs) and Basilicata (where it makes Aglianico di Vulture). You find bits and pieces of it in other Italian regions. You also occasionally find it outside of Italy, but it’s not common. Italian grapes, unlike French grapes, seem to have a hard time when they travel abroad.
Aglianico loves growing at high altitudes, where it ripens slowly and for long enough that it tames its naturally high levels of acidity and the fierce tannins contained in its naturally thick skins. Harvest in Taurasi is typically early November and often not until America’s Thanksgiving holiday in Vulture!
Yes, with its high acid and high tannins, you might also be thinking of Nebbiolo – hence, all that “Nebbiolo of the South” talk. Like Nebbiolo, Aglianico can create incredibly long-lived wines that achieve equilibrium at remarkably high levels of alcohol, acidity, and tannin. Like Nebbiolo, it can be wonderfully fragrant. And like Nebbiolo, when extractions are kept to a minimum, it can produce a far lighter, juicier version of itself that makes for super tasty everyday wine to drink in its youth.
So why not just drink Nebbiolo? Well, Aglianico has that exotic side. It tastes different. Its fruit profile is darker (usually). It shows off a different terroir – volcanic soil, rather than Barolo’s sand/limestone mix. Its spices are different: Nebbiolo features sage and licorice, Aglianico has cinnamon, dark chocolate, and coffee.
And Aglianico is cheaper! As a general rule of thumb, equivalent quality is about ⅓ less than Barolo. So a $40 Taurasi should be equivalent in quality to a $60 Barolo. An everyday Nebbiolo Langhe is now around $30, but you can get amazing everyday Aglianco for $20.
We love great value, and it’s one of the reasons we explore the Marvels on the Margins. Now it’s time to explore the three famous Aglianico DOCs.
Taurasi
Of the three great Aglianico DOCs, Taurasi is considered the greatest (although, as we shall see, some of the wines coming from Vulture are certainly just as great).
Drive for about an hour east of coastal Naples, mostly uphill, and you will eventually get to the town of Taurasi. Here, and in 16 other nearby villages, you can legally produce Taurasi, from mountain-side vineyards that range from about 1000 feet to about 2000 feet above sea level.
As you make that drive, you will pass the world’s best known volcano, Vesuvius. About two thousand years ago, the volcano erupted and covered the city of Pompeii, creating what is surely today’s greatest open-air history museum.
But it is an eruption that occurred two thousand years again before Pompeii that is of greater interest to us here. Around 4,000 years ago, ashes from an eruption spewed across Taurasi, creating the special soil type that we enjoy today – volcanic soils, on top of the usual mix of limestone and clay that is present in so many of Europe’s great wine sites.
Aglianico in these soils, and at these altitudes, can produce serious wine, and Taurasi is an appellation specifically intended to be serious. If Aglianico is the Nebbiolo of the South, Taurasi is its Barolo. Indeed, the aging requirements are very similar: 38 months for Barolo, 36 months for Taurasi. Taurasi, though, only demands that 12 of those months be in oak barrels, while it is 18 months for Barolo. Both appellations also have Riserva designations with longer aging requirements.
Also, just like in the Langhe, where Barolo producers use younger vines to produce light, fresh fruity wines (“Langhe Nebbiolo” or “Nebbiolo d’Alba”), Taurasi producers make easier-going wines with designations like “Irpinia Aglianico”. These are, in my opinion, among the very best values in every-day drinking in Italy.
Taurasi: Buying, Drinking and Dining
Buying and Cellaring
I think you get it by now: Taurasi, like Barolo, requires time. Time at the cellar, before the wine is released, and then time again in your cellar.
Or maybe not so much. The vast majority of Barolo is released precisely when it may be legally bottled and sold. So in 2025, we will be purchasing the 2021s. We will need to cellar most of them further before they are ready to drink.
But market practice in Taurasi seems to be different. Most wineries hold on to their wines for far longer than is legally necessary, perhaps eager to release wines only once they are ready to drink – or perhaps simply because there isn’t the market demand to move through their inventory faster (the Marvels on the Margins are great for consumers, but it can be tough producing wine there!).
This is a wonderful thing for Aglianco wine lovers. Current releases from top producers are 2016, 2017s and 2018s – three to five years older than current release Barolo. As of the date of writing (February 2025), we also have 2013s, 2008s, 2004s and even a few 1998s in stock!
You can buy old Barolo for sure. You need to focus on the secondary market, either purchasing the wine at auction or from retailers, like us, who deal with private cellars. There is a decades-old history of Americans and other consumers cellaring Barolo, so many older bottles are floating around out there.
But very few people cellar Taurasi. I hope they will start. For now, though, it is really hard to find older bottles of Taurasi in the secondary market. That’s the downside. The upside is that it’s easy to find plenty of those late-released wines that already have many years of bottle age!
So the advice is pretty simple. Buy 7, 8, 9-year-old or even older Taurasi that you can easily find on the market, and enjoy them. Definitely experiment with aging a few of them for longer, as Aglianico can age incredibly well.
And bear in mind that there are exceptions. Quintodecimo is considered one of the top producers of Taurasi. We are already carrying 2019 from them, and at just five years of age, I would recommend further cellaring – not that it would kill you to open a bottle now to experience the thrill of its sheer beauty.
Food Pairings
Taurasi is a powerful wine and you can pair it with just about anything you would have with Italy’s other powerful, age-worthy red wines, like Barolo or Brunello di Montalcino. Roasted lamb might be ideal, but you can have this with braised beef, oxtail, and any other deep, meaty dishes. Taurasi and Barolo are two reasons why I could never become a vegetarian.
But of course, vegetarians drink Barolo all the time, pairing it with things like porcini risotto or just a simple pasta dish with a little butter and sage. There is no reason why these dishes wouldn’t work equally well with Taurasi.
Also, consider region: Taurasi is in the heart of what may be Italy’s tio food region, Campania. This is the region that produced the eggplant Parmigiano that we typically eat in the rest of the world, and that may be the perfect vegetarian pairing for Taurasi. (You might also be tempted to try it with a Margherita pizza, invented in nearby Naples, but I find that pizza demands lighter reds, white wines or even sparklers – a local sparkling red is the most traditional pairing, and beer is what the Italians normally drink with pizza these days).
Taurasi: Top Producers
Mastroberardino - This is the reference point producer of Taurasi. 10 generations of a single family have been operating this estate, and they made a firm commitment to show the world that the area could produce world-class wines in the years after WWII. These efforts included a legendary series of single-vineyard or single-village bottlings, the highlight of which are the 1968s, considered among the best Italian wines ever produced (and one of Wine Spectators 12 wines of the 20th century!). Today, they’re a good estate with traditionalist instincts and excellent vineyard holdings.
Salvatore Molettieri - Salvatore has been making wines for almost 40 years now, with his first vintage in 1988. His vines are located in the village of Montemarano – one of 17 in Taurasi, and one of the best. He takes a middle-school approach to his wines, with medium-length macerations and aging in a combination of larger and smaller wood vessels (generally for quite a bit longer than is legally required). The wines are generally ready to drink on release, but I’ve had phenomenal 20+ year old bottles.
Guastaferro - Guastaferro is a relatively new player, certainly compared to the two producers named above, as they got started in the early 2000s. It’s basically a guy, Raffaele Guastaferro, who took over vines from his father, who had been selling off the grapes. The vines are in the village of Taurasi – not just the name of the DOC, but also one of the 17 villages in the DOC (Barolo offers exactly the same confusion), and one of the good ones. This is a small producer, with only 7.5 hectares of vines, but includes a prized holding of 2.5 hectares of 175+ year-old ungrafted vines! (The volcanic soils apparently protect the vines from the phylloxera louse.) The remainder of his vines were planted with cuttings from those old vines, and so the entire holdings are made up of one pre-phylloxera biotype Aglianico that nobody else has. This is a great producer, and even the basic Irpinia Aglianico is fantastic for under $30.
Lonardo - Of the producers profiled here, Lonardo is probably the one that I would most associate with old-time Taurasi tradition. While most producers have elected to shorten macerations or to employ at least some barriques to soften Aglianico’s fierce tannins, Lonardo has strewn to tradition. Despite that, the wines are remarkably refined and are very attractive even at a relatively young age. I highly recommend this producer.
Caggiano - This is actually one of the first Taurasi producers I fell in love with a couple of decades ago when it was imported to New York with more regularity. It’s a story of generational transition, where a son took over and decided to revert the winery to a more traditional approach after his father flirted with newer oak barrels. The holdings are great, and the son has found a balance in the wine that I love. Fortunately, despite the current spotty importation, we’re still able to get allocations here and there!
Quintodecimo - This winery is the brainchild of Professor Luigi Moio, considered one of Taurasi’s great masters (and a consultant to at least one of the other producers mentioned above). He is Taurasi’s equivalent to Henri Jayer (and in fact Luigi earned his doctorate in Burgundy): a complete fanatic dedicated to terroir, precision and perfectionism. He is not a traditionalist but instead believes in simply doing whatever it takes to make the greatest, most terroir-faithful wines possible, which he believes requires earlier picking, shorter extraction, and aging in barriques. His wines are expensive but still something you got to try.
Luigi Tecce - Look for Taurasi at a natural wine bar, and if they have any, it will likely be Luigi Tecce’s. He works 80+ year-old vines at higher-altitude sites, all by himself, and without the guidance of a technical background, so relying mostly on intuition. He ferments in open chestnut vats; ages in giant wood casks, and bottles without the addition of any sulphur. These are quite sought after and generally worth the hunt!
Terredora di Paolo - This winery splintered off from Mastroberardino as a result of a fraternal feud, and is today run by Daniela Mastroberardino. They produce Taurasis of remarkable sophistication and polish. I’ve lately been able to find decent supplies of 10+ year old vines that I’ve been enjoying enormously.
Aglianico del Vulture
When we move from Taurasi to Vulture, we are changing regions, from Campania to Basilicata. We are changing volcano, from Vesuvius to Mount Vulture. And we are changing grape…but only slightly. Vulture is, of course, a wine made from Aglianico, but the biotype is slightly different.
And as you taste the wines, you will see that they are different. Of course, it is very difficult to tease apart what makes them different. Is that biotype really so meaningful? Could it just be local wine-making customs? Terroirs? The right answer, of course, is that Aglianico del Vulture is different because of an assembly of all these things.
So let’s talk about those differences a little more specifically. When you go Vulture shopping, the first thing that you might notice is that the vintages are different. The youngest Taurasi that you find in shops today (it’s early 2025 right now) are from 2019, and most are even older. Meanwhile, almost all the Vultures I have in stock are from the 2020s.
This speaks to how these wines were perceived historically. If Taurasi was the “Barolo of the South” – a serious wine that demanded aging – Vulture was…something less than that. The aging requirements first set up for these DOCs reflected these attitudes. An Aglianico del Vulture can be legally released after just one year of aging, compared to Taurasi’s three.
But now it is clear that Vulture can make wines that are just as serious as great Taurasi. So in 2010 they created two new categories: a Superiore must be aged for three years, at least one of which is in barrel (so the same as Taurasi), and a Riserva must be aged for five years, at least two of which is in barrel (a full year longer than Taurasi Riserva requirements).
Still, on average, an Aglianico del Vulture does tend to be a little more accessible at a younger age, relying a little more on freshness and fruitiness rather than the stern characteristics of Taurasi. This may have something to do with the biotype: the Aglianico grape here is a little bigger, so the ratio of skins (which give tannins) to fruit pulp is smaller. That, in turn, may result in a wine-making style that emphasizes this more accessible side of Aglianico.
There are also key terroir differences between Campania’s Taurasi and Basilicata’s Vulture. While both consist of high-altitude vineyards that lie in the shadows of extinct volcanoes, the soils are in places actually quite different. There is, in particular, quite a bit of variety of soil types in Basilicata, including many higher-up sites that still contain lava. The locals believe that, as a result of this diversity, Vulture’s different villages (there are 15) all produce slightly different profiles of Aglianico.
There is a lot of detail here, so I’d like to boil this down to a simple rule of thumb, albeit one that has all kinds of exceptions. Taurasi is generally a bigger, more structured and fleshier wine, while Vulture is generally more lithe and fruit forward. This is not meant to be hierarchical: most commentators believe that Vulture has caught up to Taurasi in terms of overall quality, at least among top producers. Maybe you can think of it perhaps like Barolo and Barbaresco, with Barbaresco playing the role of Vulture. Kind of.
Buying, Cellaring and Drinking Aglianico del Vulture
Your strategy with Vulture needs to be a little bit different than Taurasi, for one simple reason: it is far harder to find back vintage Aglianico del Vulture. On our web site, as of this writing (February 2025), I can see 2013s, 2008s and even 2004s from Taurasi. Our oldest Vulture is 2019 (a lovely single-vineyard wine from Grifalco).
So if you want to drink fully mature Aglianicos from Vulture, you need to buy it on release and cellar it yourself. If you like these wines, then I highly recommend that you do that. Fucci, mentioned below, is an Aglianico rock star, and her wines age incredibly well. I’m just starting to drink her 2016s, which I put aside for aging several years ago, and I am extremely grateful to my former self for doing so.
That doesn’t mean that you should not drink current releases. Although I prefer Fucci’s wines with 8-10 years, I also admire the fierce intensity of the wines on release and do drink them from time to time. Grifalco’s wines are made in a gentler style and are fully accessible on release. And of course, like in Taurasi, Vulture producers release non-DOC easy-drinkers that are meant to be drunk on release. To be honest, I have not enjoyed these as much as the equivalents from Taurasi.
In terms of what to drink these wines with, there is obviously not a lot of difference from Taurasi. But here you do have more flexibility. The wines are less fleshy and structured, and so are not as demanding of meat. No, they are not exactly fish wines, but they are certainly capable of going with a range of Italian vegetarian options, especially once a few years of cellaring have rounded out the tannins.
This region is smaller than Taurasi and does not have as many big names. I’m focused on three key producers of Aglianico del Vulture:
Fucci - Fucci may be my very favorite producer of Aglianico at the moment from any of these three regions. She has very old vines in some of the most lava-filled soils on Mount Vulture. Check out the photo of her below showing off the layers of terroir in her soils. She produces wines in the modern Italian style that favors purity, precision and intensity.
Grifalco - Grifalco is the brainchild of two transplants from Tuscany who decided to give up Sangiovese for Aglianico. They’ve been at it for over 20 years, focusing on two single vineyards, Damaschito and Daginestra, that showcase the wide terroir variability that you find in Vulture. These wines taste more traditional than Fucci’s (perhaps because there is more aging in traditional Slavonian casks), and are also more approachable young. Drinkable on release, with the capacity to age further, these are great go-to Aglianicos.
Notaia - Notaia was born when its proprietor reclaimed his grandfather’s old estate around the turn of the century. He hired Luigi Maio (of Taurasi’s Quintodecimo; see above) as a consultant and proceeded to develop wines of great richness and polish, including with the use of barriques. In contrast to Maio's practice at his own winery, they are known for picking late, sometimes in December!
Taburno
Go further inland, to the north, from Taurasi, and guess what: soon you come across another volcano! This is Mt. Taburno. It too has ashy soils running down its slopes, covered with vines that grow slow-ripening Aglianico.
If Taurasi is off-Broadway from Barolo and Brunello, Taburno is off-off Broadway. One day, when – finally – there is hype around the great Aglianicos of Taurasi, people will quietly point out that you can still buy affordable examples that are almost as good from just one volcano over, in Taburno. They will be right!
But Taurasi isn’t hyped and in the context of high level wine it’s still a bargain. Even in the context of every-day drinkers I find that declassified Taurasi provides incredible value. So why bother with Taburno?
Well, partly it’s a value story. Taurasi offers good value but it’s not cheap. Aglianico from Taburno can be downright cheap. There are delicious wines in the $15 - $20 range. In fact, my single favorite under $20 red that we offer for sale at the moment (February 2025) is the Fidelis from the Cantina del Taburno. We currently carry the 2018 – 6 years old – and it has the elegance and complexity of a $35 wine.
And partly it’s just to try something new. Florence may be a greater city overall, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t also visit Siena. Likewise, after you’ve finished exploring Taurasi and Vulture, you should definitely head to Taburno.
You will certainly find something new there. The soils are markedly different, with a high presence of chalk. The slopes are lower, and the air is hotter. Like the Aglianicos of Taurasi and Vulture, Taburno’s has its own biotype. All of these factors, combined with the usual whims of local tradition, result in wines that taste different. They typically have higher acidity, but also higher sugar levels. The tannins are less fierce than in Taurasi or Vulture. I find the dark minerality of these wines to be quite overt.
The quality here may not yet be at the level of Taurasi or Vulture. This could be simply due to the absence of any superstar producers. Before Fucci, Notaia and Grifalco started making quality wines around the beginning of this century, Vulture’s reputation was well behind Taurasi’s. Maybe new pioneers will start investing in Taburno, and a few quality producers will start showing the world that its terroir is equal to its cousins.
Buying, Cellaring and Drinking Aglianico del Vulture
At the moment, there is no reason to cellar the wines of Taburno. The wines that are available from quality producers are excellent on release. For sure, if you are curious, you could cellar the single vineyard wines of the Cantina del Taburno, but they are released late enough and are already delicious and mature-seeming enough that you would really only do so as an experiment.
This is not a bad thing! I simply can’t believe that I can buy the Fidelis for under $20 and enjoy a fully mature Aglianico! I have a funny feeling that this won’t last forever, but for now, do take advantage.
These wines are the least tense of the three DOCs and have the highest acidity. They therefore have the advantage of being the easiest wine to pair. You’re still not quite drinking a wine that naturally pairs with fish, but with its higher acidity, you are almost there, and I think you would do just fine with a salmon bowl. This is otherwise a natural partner for virtually any southern Italian food and most Mediterranean foods for that matter.
Here are the two producers I focus on:
Cantina del Taburno - This is one of those Italian regions – like Barbaresco, or Alto Adige – where it is the local cooperative that produces some of the most interesting wines. That’s due to a combination of many farmholders with small holdings (the coop has 300 different contributing farmers, with an average holding size of just two hectares), and the lack of obvious superstars to attract consumer attention. The concept of a cooperative is fantastic, and when they can deliver, it’s a win-win for producers and consumers. This Cantina is producing truly fantastic values.
Fattoria del Rivolta - This is a small producer that has been working organically since their founding in 1997. The Taburno they produce is clean, precise and loaded with typicity. They also have a delicious IGP Aglianico that consistently ranks as one of my favorite go-to Italian table wines.
I’m also just starting to get to know:
Fontanavecchia - This appears to be the most ambitious producer in the region at the moment. They produce full-bodied wines that are aged in barriques.
So what should you do with Aglianico?
If I were starting out today as a new wine collector, trying to stock a cellar in today’s world, I wouldn’t pass up on some of the classics. I’d try to get some Bordeaux and Burgundy, with a focus on lesser-known regions and villages. I would definitely buy plenty of Piedmontese and Tuscan wines, as even after all the price increases, they still provide a pretty incredible range of cellar-worthy wines for under $100. I would also dabble in the handful of other regions that today’s collectors focus on: Champagne, German Riesling, Northern Rhones, Californians, and the like.
But I would also try to focus on a region that most collectors overlook. Maybe that could be Malbecs from Argentina or Canary Island wines. Maybe it could be Alsatian whites. The world is full of interesting options!
These “off” regions make great targets because they tend to be exciting, fast-evolving, off-the-radar regions that continue to offer great value. They also give you a chance to distinguish your cellar from everyone else’s. They give your cellar personality. Five years in, and you will be bringing wines to dinner that nobody else has or can hope to find. And who knows, maybe your “off” region will one day become the “next thing”, “off” no more (and worth way more money!).
Well, the point of this guide is to explain why the Aglianicos of these three great DOCs – especially Taurasi and Vulture – would make an excellent choice. The wines are incredibly delicious. If you like Barolo – and I think you do – there is no reason not to love these Aglianicos (notwithstanding their differences). These are also wines that are guaranteed to keep well in your cellars. Yet I can assure you that not so many people out there are bothering to cellar them.
Even if you don’t feel inclined to start a whole collection of Taurasis or Vultures, you should definitely at minimum supplement your Tuscans and Piedmonts with a few of these wines. Put away a case of Lonardo, and a case of Fucci. Watch how they evolve. You won’t regret it.
In good news, none of this requires a big advance commitment. You can start by simply trying one of the many late-released Taurasis available on the market, just to confirm that you’ll love these wines as much as I think you will. I hope, and expect, that it will spark in you an urge to fully explore this amazing region of Italy.
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