Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina Il Passo in the Basilicata

Sticking with the theme of aglianico this month I’m sticking with the Basilicata wine region and sharing an aglianico from Cantina Il Passo.  I have been in connection with one of the family members, Maria, to get a background history on the winery. 

Maria's children are the 5^th generation owners of the estate.  Their great great grandfather, Francesco Grimolizzi, in 800 purchased acres of the farm in the town of Rapolla within the province of Potenza.  

The property was divided amongst the children and now the family owns 50 hectares cultivated of cereal (durum wheat, orzo and oats), 3 hectares of olive groves and in 2012 they purchased a vineyard containing 30 year old vines of Aglianico del Vulture.  Since then they have all purchased another vineyard in Barile totaling 5 hectares of vines.  With this purchase they decided to produce quality wine with the collaboration of wine consultant, Fabio Mecca.  Enologist, Fabio Mecca, born in Barile, consults for wineries in central and southern Italy.  According to WineNews, in 2011 he was awarded one of the 4 Best Emerging Oenologists.

Fabio Mecca

The winery is named Il Passo because it’s the name of the first terrain that one encounters on the property as you approach the winery, which is an olive grove that extends towards the hill.  The wine is named after the land in which the winery resides, Contrada Alberi in Piano.  Their vineyards are planted with exclusively aglianico that is set at the foot of Mt Vulture in the Basilicata region.  Their wine cellar also exists in carved out tufa caves underground.  

In 2013 Cantina Il Passo Alberi in Piano Aglianico del Vulture won the platinum medal by Decantur being named “Best Southern Italian Red” with a rating of 95 points.   

2013 Cantina Il Passo Alberi in Piano Aglianico del Vulture

The tree on the bottle represents the Grimolizzi roots of the family.  This wine is aged 3 months in steel and then 18 months in new French tonneaux before it is bottled.  For this price point you’re getting much more than you pay for.  A full bodied wine that is rich in dark, brooding berries and well balanced between acidity, flavor and tannins with the tannins showing on the silkier side.  A lasting finish to enjoy once the last sip is gone! SRP $23 ABV 14%

Pairings:  I personally paired this with a classic homemade lasagna and meatballs, but there are many choices you could go with.  Cantina il Passo recommends leg of lamb on a bed of peppers and dried tomatoes.

Have you been to this region yet or are you an aglianico lover yet?  What are you waiting for!?

Most pictures copyright of Cantina Il Passo and wine was shared as a sample, but opinions are my own.

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