Do we ship to you?.
Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2008
$57.34
Aglianico
Italy
Campania
Taurasi
750ml
N/A
Better Price
2017
$45.79
Aglianico
Italy
Campania
Taurasi
750ml
12B / $45.60
Similar Price
2015
$59.94
Aglianico
Italy
Campania
Taurasi
750ml
Similar Price, Better Score
2012
$59.95
Aglianico
Italy
Campania
Taurasi
750ml
12B / $58.75
Better Price, Better Score
2016
$41.79
Aglianico
Italy
Campania
Taurasi
750ml
12B / $40.95
More wines available from Lonardo
750ml
Bottle:
$41.79
Made with fruit from young vines (that are about 10 years old), the Contrade di Taurasi 2016 Taurasi is dark and...
More Details
Winery
Lonardo
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Aglianico
Aglianico grapes have been cultivated in southern Italy for over two thousand years, and were once a very important grape to the ancient Romans, who adored the deep garnet colored wine it produced. Today, Aglianico grapes are grown in many parts of the world, and thrive best in hot, dry climates, and especially on volcanic soils. As such, they do particularly well in certain parts of the United States, where they are regularly used as a blending wine. Aglianico is a thick skinned black grape, and as such has a high tannin content which makes it ideal for aging The aging process mellows the often harsh tannins in the grape juice, making the wine more balanced and free to reveal flavors and aromas of dark fruits, plum and chocolate. It is also a highly acidic wine, and in some parts of the world is given over to noble rot in order to make an intense and slightly viscous sweet dessert wine.
Region: Campania
The beautiful region of Campania, located in the 'shin' of Italy's boot, has been an important center for viticulture and wine making for thousands of years. Indeed, archaeologists believe that wine making was happening in Campania as long ago as 1,200 BCE, making this one of the oldest wine regions on earth. By the time the Roman Empire starting expanding, Campania became the world's most important wine producing region, and the hundred or so native grape varietals which flourish in the mineral rich soils near the coast became the key ingredient in many of Rome's legendary classical wines. Today, the wine industry in Campania is booming once more, following a drop in the region's reputation in the 1970s, and is gaining awards, recognition and new fans each year.
Country: Italy
It isn't difficult to understand why Italy is famed not just for the quality of its wines, but also for the vast variety and range of characteristics found in the wines there. The terrain of the country varies wildly, from the lush rolling green hills and valley of Tuscany, to the sun drenched rocky coasts of Sicily, the mountainous and alpine regions of the north, and the marshy lowlands of the east. Italy really does have a little bit of everything. Combine this huge range of landscapes with an almost perfect climate for grape cultivation, and you have a country seemingly designed for viticultural excellence. The results speak for themselves, and it is clear to see that wine has become an inseparable part of Italian culture as a result of its abundance and brilliance. Each village, city and region has a local wine perfectly matched with the cuisine of the area, and not an evening passes without the vast majority of Italian families raising a glass of locally sourced wine with pride and pleasure.