Red Grape · Basilicata

Aglianico

Aglianico is the deep south's iron-fisted answer to Nebbiolo: a black, late-ripening grape from Campania's Irpinia hills and Basilicata's extinct Vulture volcano, with tannin and acidity fierce enough to age Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture for decades.

Aglianico [ahl-YAH-nee-ko] is an ancient grape variety from southern Italy. It makes a big, bold red that people have loved since the Greeks occupied Italy. It grows in Campania and Basilicata, and it is still southern Italy's top red grape.

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9
Denominations

Setting it straight

More than meets the eye

From the Irpinia hills of Campania to the extinct Vulture volcano in Basilicata, Aglianico is the deep south's most serious, slowest-aging red, not a cheap and cheerful quaffer.

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The reality

Southern Italy's great ageworthy red

  • Tannin like a young BaroloThick skins give grippy, mouth-coating tannin that demands food or a decade of patience, not the plush softness of Primitivo or Nero d'Avola.
  • Volcanic, not jammyGrown on the ash and tuff of the volcanic south, it tastes of black cherry, iron, smoke and graphite rather than sweet, sun-baked jam.
  • Built to age for decadesHigh acidity and firm tannin let Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore, both aged three years before release, keep evolving for twenty years and more.
The myth

Just another sunbaked bargain red

  • Priced like a weeknight redIts southern home gets it shelved with bargain bottles, yet Taurasi was Campania's first DOCG and its finest rivals Barolo and Brunello in the cellar.
  • Soft and jammy like its neighboursThat describes Primitivo and Nero d'Avola. Aglianico is the savoury, tannic outlier of the south, far closer in build to Nebbiolo than to either.

The anchor fact: Taurasi, made from Aglianico, was Campania's first DOCG in 1993 and must be aged three years before release, while Aglianico del Vulture Superiore is Basilicata's only DOCG. These are cellar wines, not everyday bargains.

Taste · Where it sits

What it’s actually like in the glass

Forget scores out of five. Here’s Aglianico described against grapes you already know.

BodyFull and brooding
LightFull

Full-bodied and muscular, up in the heavyweight class with Sagrantino and top Nebbiolo, but the weight is all tannin and dark extract, never sweet or soft.

TanninFierce, chalky
SoftGrippy

Some of the firmest tannin in Italy, thick-skinned and mouth-gripping like a young Nebbiolo, which is exactly why Taurasi earned the nickname the Barolo of the South.

AcidityBright, mouth-watering
SoftZippy

Startlingly high acidity for a southern red: it keeps a wine this dark and tannic feeling fresh, and it is the backbone that carries Aglianico through decades in the cellar.

Fruit & sweetnessBone-dry, savoury
DrySweet

Firmly dry and savoury, all black cherry, iron and smoke rather than the sweet, jammy fruit of Primitivo or Nero d'Avola from further south.

Key flavours

Black cherry
The core dark fruit of young Aglianico, tart and firm-skinned rather than sweet, sitting behind the tannin instead of leaping out of the glass.
Plum
Dark, stony plum on the riper vintages, always framed by that firm acidity so it reads as savoury rather than jammy.
Black pepper
A savoury peppery bite running right through the wine, part of the grape's spicy, brooding character rather than any hint of sweetness.
Smoked meat
A smoky, gamey, almost bloody edge tied to the volcanic soils of Vulture and Irpinia, the note that makes Aglianico such a natural match for roast lamb and mutton.
Leather
A tertiary note that emerges with age, as Taurasi and old Vulture bottlings trade primary fruit for leather, tobacco and forest floor over their long life.
Structured · Tannic Soft · Approachable Light-bodied Bold · Full Sangiovese Nebbiolo Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Barbera
Aglianico

The map

Aglianico is powerfully full, bold, gripping tannin, mapped against other red grapes you can buy. The closer a grape sits, the more its weight and grip resemble Aglianico.

Aglianicopowerfully full, bold, gripping tannin
Sangioveselighter, softer
Nebbiololighter, softer
Merlotlighter, softer
Cabernet Sauvignona close match
Cabernet Francmuch lighter, far softer
Barberalighter, far softer

Is this for you?

An honest gut-check

Reach for it when…

A bold red that just works

  • You love Barolo and Brunello and want that firm, tannic, ageworthy thrill from the south, often for a fraction of the price.
  • There is slow-cooked lamb, game or hard southern cheese on the table and you want a red with the grip to cut through it.
  • You are buying to cellar: a good Taurasi or Aglianico del Vulture will happily outlive most other Italian reds you could set beside it.

Maybe skip it if…

You’re after something else tonight

  • You want something soft, sweet-fruited and ready tonight; reach for Primitivo or Nero d'Avola instead.
  • You are drinking without food, where young Aglianico's tannin and acidity can feel severe on their own.
  • You will not decant or cellar it, because opened too young and cold its structure stays locked up and austere.

Serving guide

Pour it at its best

Serve at

17-20°C

A touch below room temperature keeps the alcohol and fierce tannin in check and lets the dark fruit through.

Decant

1 hours

Give young Aglianico a good hour of air; it is tightly wound and needs time to unclench its tannin and wake the fruit.

Glass

Bordeaux Glass

A big Bordeaux bowl suits it, softening the grip and spreading its smoke, iron and dark-fruit aromatics.

Drink within

4-5 days

Once open it holds for days, as the tannin and acidity that let it age also keep it fresh long after the cork is pulled.

Cellar

+20 years

Cellar the serious bottlings for twenty years or more; Taurasi and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore are among Italy's longest-lived reds.

On the table

What to eat with Aglianico

Start with the home-table matches that made the grape, then browse the full cuisine library.

Agnello Ragu Lucano

The Lucanian classic

Agnello Ragu Lucano

Basilicata's own lamb ragu, from the same Lucanian tables as Aglianico del Vulture: the wine's tannin cuts the fatty lamb while its acidity lifts the long-simmered sauce.
Spezzatino di pecora

Gamey and slow-cooked

Spezzatino di pecora

Rustic mutton stew, gamey and rich, meets its match in Aglianico's grip and savoury, smoky edge, a pairing the mountain south has eaten for generations.
Caciocavallo farcito

The region's cheese

Caciocavallo farcito

Stuffed, melting caciocavallo, the great cheese of the south, is salty and savoury enough to tame the tannin and let the wine's dark fruit answer back.
Lamb shank

Braised and collagen-rich

Lamb shank

Slow-braised lamb shank is the textbook foil for a big tannic red: its collagen and fat soften Aglianico's grip, making it the easy way to open a young Taurasi at the table.

Browse every pairing

Italian Italian
Meats 5 Pasta 5 Antipasti 1 Cheese 1
International International
Beef & Steak 4 Lamb 3 Game & Wildfowl 1
British British
Pies & Puddings 2 Game 1 Meats 1 Roasts 1

Buy it · three to start with

Not sure which bottle? Start here

A curated trio across the price range, then every Aglianico on sale in the UK right now.

Entry · everyday

Farfallone Aglianico Sannio DOC

Farfallone Aglianico Sannio DOC

Sannio

1 retailer

£13.25

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Why this one: A pure, everyday Aglianico from the Sannio hills of Campania and one of the region's biggest co-ops: honest black-cherry-and-pepper fruit with real grip, the cheapest way to learn the grape.

The sweet spot

Basilisco Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG

Basilisco Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG

Aglianico del Vulture Superiore

2 retailers

£29.90

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Why this one: Now cross to Basilicata, where Basilisco grows Aglianico on the black volcanic soils of Monte Vulture; this Superiore, Basilicata's only DOCG, adds the smoke, iron and depth those old volcanic slopes give.

Special occasion

Casa Vinicola Mastroberardino Radici

Casa Vinicola Mastroberardino Radici

Taurasi

1 retailer

£47.40

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Why this one: Radici is the benchmark Taurasi from Mastroberardino, the house that kept Taurasi alive through the last century: a firm structure of tar, graphite and dark cherry with a cellar life measured in decades, this is Aglianico at full stretch.

12 of 47 bottles

Denominations

Where it earns a name on the label

The appellations where Aglianico plays a starring role.

Aglianico del VultureDOC Aglianico del Vulture SuperioreDOCG Aglianico del TaburnoDOCG BasilicataIGT Castel del Monte Rosso RiservaDOCG Falerno del MassicoDOC PalizziIGT TaurasiDOCG Terre di CosenzaDOC

Where it grows

The places it calls home

Basilicata

Italy's smallest southern producer, where Aglianico ripens late on the volcanic cones of Mount Vulture and Matera's tufa cellars age the country's most Read more

26 wines · 6 denominations

Campania

From Vesuvian ash to Avellino's Tufo hills, Campania pours four DOCGs of Italy's deepest wine memory: Aglianico for thunder, Fiano and Greco for stone-cool Read more

205 wines · 33 denominations

Molise

Italy's quietest wine region: Tintilia rediscovered on Apennine slopes, Montepulciano ripened by Adriatic light, and Biferno reds anchored above the Termoli Read more

15 wines · 6 denominations

Puglia

From Manduria's Primitivo bottlings to Salento's Negroamaro estates and Castel del Monte's Nero di Troia DOCG hills, Puglia offers Italy's deepest catalogue Read more

407 wines · 41 denominations

The terroir

Aglianico is a creature of the volcanic deep south, thick-skinned and so late-ripening it is often the last red picked in Italy, hanging on the vine into November. It needs the heat and the old volcanic and high-altitude soils of Campania and Basilicata to ripen that fierce tannin, which is why its great homes sit inland, high and cool, rather than on the easy coastal plains.

Taurasi DOCG

Irpinia, Campania

Campania's first DOCG, from the high Apennine hills of Irpinia around the town of Taurasi. Aged at least three years before release, it is the firm, tar-and-graphite benchmark, the wine that earned Aglianico the Barolo of the South tag.

Aglianico del Vulture

Monte Vulture, Basilicata

Grown on the basalt and ash of Monte Vulture, an extinct volcano, on slopes between 450 and 600 metres. Wilder and smokier than Taurasi, with more iron and blood; the Superiore is Basilicata's only DOCG.

Aglianico del Taburno DOCG

Taburno massif, Benevento

Campania's other Aglianico DOCG, on the slopes of the Taburno massif near Benevento; a little rounder and more approachable young than austere Taurasi, but built on the same grip.

Editorial

About Aglianico

Aglianico suits a range of budgets. Most bottles cost £12 to £40. The price depends on the style and the vintage.

Thick-skinned and stubbornly slow, Aglianico is among the very last grapes harvested in Italy, still ripening on the volcanic slopes of Monte Vulture and the hills of Irpinia into November, long after the rest of the country has finished its vintage.

The last red picked in the south

This bold wine works well with pasta in rich meat sauces. Try lamb ragu, oxtail or wild boar, where the depth of the wine matches the hearty sauce.

Risotto lovers have good options too. Aglianico goes well with Risotto alla Milanese topped with ossobuco, or with a hearty mushroom risotto. Its bold flavour lifts the creamy texture.

This wine is a perfect match for barbecued or smoked meats, stewed beef, or a classic steak. Its structure and tannins cut through the rich meat.

Aglianico does not usually suit fish, because it is so bold. An Aglianico rosato is different, and it can work with some fish dishes.

Aged cheeses make the best match. Try parmigiano, cheddar or blue cheese, where the sharp cheese meets the bold wine.

The wine fits many kinds of cooking. It goes well with French dishes, American barbecue and traditional Italian meals.

Made in Basilicata, this classic Aglianico is bold and loved by many wine drinkers. The wine takes its name from where the grapes grow, around Monte Vulture.

This is the most respected Aglianico wine. The grapes come from Avellino, in the Campania region. It needs the most ageing in bottle to soften its intense structure.

This Aglianico is grown and made into wine in the Benevento area of Campania. It is usually the most affordable of the Aglianicos, but it still has bold structure and finesse.

Aglianico goes back a long way. It is an ancient grape native to southern Italy. Several peoples have prized it over the centuries. It is thought to have one of the longest histories of any grape on the world market. The oldest civilisations in Italy grew it and exported it.

The Romans loved Aglianico. Once they took over, its production grew further. Avellino became the prized zone for Aglianico grapes, and it is still the most distinguished growing zone today. The Taurasi wines are made only in the comune of Avellino.

In time, Aglianico spread beyond Campania and Basilicata. It is also grown in the nearby regions of Molise and Puglia. In certain parts of Campania, Aglianico makes up at least 85 percent of the wine, with a little Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. It is exported all around the world, and it now grows in other wine regions too. Parts of Australia and California produce Aglianico grapes as well.

Aglianico is a gem of southern Italy. Its long history and complex flavours make it a wine you should try, ideally with a good meat dish.

Good to know

Frequently asked

Aglianico is a full-bodied Southern Italian wine. It is incredibly structured, with high tannins and high acidity. It features beautiful red fruits, with spicy and smoky flavors. It is typically grown in the regions of Basilicata and Campania.

Aglianico features some exceptional tasting notes. It is very structured and full-bodied. It features red fruits, like black cherry and plum. It is also incredibly savory, with lovely smoky tones reminiscent of smoked and peppery meats.

Aglianico is a dry wine. It does have high alcohol and a large body, which causes it to lean more on the dry than bone dry side of the dryness spectrum.

Aglianico is produced almost exclusively in Southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Basilicata and Campania. It is also produced in the nearby regions of Molise and Puglia. Some other countries have started to cultivate the grape as well, like Australia and the U.S.

Aglianico tastes best with rich dishes. Red meats pair excellently with Aglianico, especially when stewed or with a full-flavored sauce. Aged and salty cheeses, like parmigiano and cheddar, do wonderfully with this wine too.

The correct pronunciation of "Aglianico" using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is [aʎˈʎaːniko]. In a more simplified form, it is pronounced as "ahl-YAH-nee-ko".

Explore by style

Wine styles made from Aglianico

Jump to the editorial guide for each style this grape turns up in.

Keep exploring

More red grapes