2019 Ciro Picariello Aglianico Zi Filicella

WINEMAKER: Ciro Picariello
VARIETAL: Aglianico
REGION: Campania, IT
VITICULTURE: Organic

"I adore Aglianico, in great hands it's up there with Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Nerello Mascalese for Italian red complexity and longevity. Ciro's version in 2015 is quite a charmer for a grape that can be as foreboding as young Mourvedre. In fact it is quite silken and stylish to be honest. Made only in tank, it is quite fruit driven, opening up best after a couple of minutes in the glass showing piercing aromas of sour red cherry, currents and fresh herbs, in the mouth it's stylish and silky - fresh sweet and complex with very pure plum and smoky red berry flavours that have an almost stony quality. A wine of remarkable balance and finesse, but also powerful and concentrated. A lovely wine confirming the 2019 vintage to be a great one for Aglianico." - Andrew Guard

Ciro Picariello’s tiny 7 hectare estate lies at the heart of Campania’s white grape region of Avellino among the Irpinian hills. More precisely, he has four hectares of Fiano and red Aglianico perched on the slopes above Summonte at 650 metres altitude on volcanic, calcareous clay and ‘pietra di rame’ (copper stone) soils. The remaining 3 ha of Fiano and Greco are to be found 10 km away in the village of Montefredane, at 550 meters altitude on more clay dominant soils.

Ciro first planted his vines in 1990, he and his his wife Rita then started selling fruit to Feudi di San Gregorio in 1993 and in 2002 he made his first wine and from 2004 he bottles everything for his label. His is helped by Rita and daughter Emma, while his son Bruno is at viticultural school. Their vineyards lie in a north-south orientation to benefit from the cleansing air currents that shuttle up and the down the hills. He works ‘naturally’ in the vineyard, all by hand. He counts himself fortunate in that the region receives plenty of beneficial spring rain annually.