Basilicata

This wine is not for everyone.  It is rustic, rough and decidedly not a fruit bomb.

This was smoking good.  My first time trying this although I have had this winery's lower end offerings before.  My understanding is that this wine is made in the same method as Amarone.  The grapes are dried out on straw mats prior to being crushed, but the wine is fermented (mostly) dry.  This is a robust and delicious wine.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, tobacco, slight  roasted herbs, anise and smoke.  Full bodied.  Dry.  On the palate flavors of black raspberries, black cherries over burnt forest floor.  Great texture.  Complex and layered depth.  Good acidit

From the arch in the Italian boot.  This wine is consistently a great value.  It does takes some time to mature, so finding the 2010 was a treat.  Made from the Aglianico grape.  This is deep ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, smoke, slight anise and a nice minerality.  Full bodied.  This is ripe with nice black cherry fruit.  Underneath is a nice smoky minerality.  Very nice texture.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is a tasty wine that will work well on its own (not common for Italian wines) or with food (the way Italians drink wine!).  It might improve a bit more but should b

This is a very nice wine made from the Aglianico grape in southern Italy (think the arch of the foot).  Aglianico can be one of the more tannic grapes.  It often needs a lot of cellaring to come around but also can be quite long lived.  Purple in color, slight ruby rim.  The nose is nice with black cherries, black pepper, roasted herbs, and slight anise.  On the palate, this has strong tannins.  Bright black cherry fruit with good acidity.  This will need at least five years to show much and better to give it ten.  It should be good for another ten to fifteen, at least, after that.  It is v

This is from the "arch" of the Italian boot area and made from the Aglianico grape.  It is possibly the best wine from this area but it does take a long time to mature.  At 19 years from vintage, this wine is now in a great place.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries, leather, cigar box, and dust.  On the palate, it does show some age but plenty of fresh cherries and black cherries as well over a dry earthy, tobacco quality.  Good acidity, this goes quite well with food.  Nice finish.  It was decanted for sediment and continued to improve for an hour before leveling off.  No

Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries.  It seems slightly oxidized at this point but not to the point of not enjoying the wine.  On the palate, more cherry cough drop.  Good acidity.  Very nice wine that may be a bit past peak but drinking well.  Still, I would drink these sooner than later.  

Deep ruby in color, purple core.  The nose ha some slight recution on it.  Plums and black cherries.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, big dark cherry fruit.  Also plums.  A very tasty wine.  A modicum of depth but this is more about easy and drink now and enjoy.  Nice finish.  $15 is a great value.