Highlights: Viticoltori de Conciliis Donnaluna Aglianico 2018 Paestum IGP, Italy
Viticoltori de Conciliis is based in southern Campania and was founded as a winery in 1996. This is when three siblings, Luigi, Bruno and Paola de Conciliis decided to make use of their family vineyards rather than selling their grapes. They have 15 hectares of vines, farmed organically. The coastal foothills the vineyards are located on add a bit of altitude and some breeze from the sea, helping counter the heat, and soils are sandstone/limestone. This wine is spectacular, made with wild ferment and minimal additions.
Viticoltori de Conciliis Donnaluna Aglianico 2018 Paestum IGP, Italy
14.5% alcohol. Organic. Wonderfully aromatic with fragrant black cherries, spice, a hint of tar, some black olive and some incense, as well as a sweet strawberry note. The palate is ripe but focused, with a black fruit emphasis as well as fine spices and dried herbs. It has nice tannic structure, but this meshes so well with the ripe fruit, giving a velvety texture. Haunting and ethereal with beautiful balance: this is a ripe southern wine, but it has some freshness and elegance, too, as well as a savoury framing. And the finish is chalky and mineral with good acidity. 94/100 (£18 Armit Wines)
