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Mission Codename: Rustic Classic

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Find a traditional rustic southern Italian wine for our operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Azienda Agricola Allegretti

Wine Subject: 2003 Il Barile Vecchio Aglianico del Vulture DOC

Winemaker: Francesco and Rosangela Allegretti

Backgrounder:

Aglianico del Vulture DOC, located in southern Italy’s Basilicata’s region is known for rustic wines that date date to the days of the Romans. Grown on the extinct volcano Mount Vulture, this is the only DOC in the region. The rolling higher-elevation volcanic foothills, mild Mediterranean climate and rich volcanic Terroir most influence the character, aromas and flavors of these unique and distinctive wines.

This wine comes in a few styles, the regular which is aged for 12 months; the Vecchio (meaning ‘old’ – like this one) which are aged for 36 months; and Reserva, which are aged for up to 60 months. These wines are made with the ancient Aglianico grape and was originally grown in Greece before it was brought to Italy by early Greek settlers.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark deep purple with garnet and ruby hues and a dark inky core. This wine’s deep color reaches all the way to the edge of the glass and when swirled, fast, medium thick legs ring the glass.

Smell – Medium in intensity, rustic Italian in character with sweet spice, zesty plum and other red and black fruit, smokey oak and the slightest hints of violets.

Feel – This wine has a bold attack followed by firm finely etched tannins, spice that reaches the far corners of the palate and bright acid that supports this wines rustic and complex flavors.

Taste – Rich and savory black and red fruit with spiced plum, tart red cherry, smokey tobacco and toasted oak are framed by this wine’s classic rustic character that manifests itself with a zesty and earthy quality.

Finish – Medium long in length with lingering aromas and flavors of red fruit, spice and toasted oak.

Conclusion – Perhaps more than any other wine we’ve featured from Italy, this one is the epitome of classic rustic wines and at the same time shows finesse. Aged for 36 months (first 12 months in stainless steel and then in oak), deep in color, bold in aromas, powerful in flavor, a flavorful lingering finish, this wine instantly transports you to southern Italy where you can enjoy, not the expected seafood, this wine is from Basilicata, so pair it with grilled lamb or steak, or even better yet a spicy regional sausage and be very molto felice. Decant this wine or let it breathe for an hour to fully enjoy this wine.

Mission Report:

The train ride from Rome to Naples and then Salermo was the easy part. Once in Salermo, our local contact was to pick us up for the ride into Basilicata. I arrived at the station in Salermo and waited on the platform and waited and waited… It was getting late in the day and I was becoming concerned so I messaged into OPS for further instructions.

They were puzzled that I didn’t receive the message to take the Vespa parked at the station and heed up to Barile on my own. Problem was with most of the daylight gone, the two hour drive was now a race against both the clock. It wasn’t until I arrived at Potenza that I could start to see the outline of the extinct volcano mount Vulture in the distance. It would be another 45 minutes before I’d arrive in Barile.

One of the nice parts of traveling by Vespa is that you get the full experience unobstructed, sights, smells, the wind in your hair. As I got close, the aromas of southern Italian cooking filled the air as I passed small village after village. It was getting almost too tempting thankfully I was just minutes away.

I finally arrived in small village of Barile and I had reached my limit. Using my handheld GPS unit I found the address of my meet. It was a small building with a stairwell down to the lower level. The lower door was open and the smell of grilled meat and the soft glow of candles provided just enough light to lead the way.

Once inside the small café I noticed just one open table and at that table was a couple bottles of wine and a plate of regional antipasto. One of those bottles was today’s featured selection, the Allegretti Il Barile Vecchio. As I sat down and took a sip, I realized how nice it is to have these crazy international missions.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Azienda Agricola Allegretti can be seen in this satellite photo.