Aglianico del Taburno - Riserva - Spartiviento - Cantine Tora

Cantine Tora's Aglianico del Taburno DOCG Riserva Spartiviento is the most ambitious and long-lived expression of one of Italy's noblest and oldest red grape varieties. Aglianico - called the "Barolo of the South" by some winemakers - is a grape of Greek origin, brought to Campania by Hellenic settlers millennia ago, which finds ideal conditions for its fullest expression in the Taburno massif, in the Sannio area of Benevento.

Cantine Tora is a family-run winery rooted in this volcanic area of inland Campania, where the vineyards grow on mineral-rich clay and tuffaceous soils at an altitude of over 400 meters. Riserva Spartiviento - the name evokes the wind that divides the seasons on these hills - is produced only in the finest vintages, from a selection of the ripest and most concentrated grapes, with extended aging in oak barrels that can exceed 24 months, followed by further bottle aging before release.

The result is a wine of great structure and complexity: deep ruby red in color with garnet reflections. Intense and austere on the nose: black cherry, plum, violet, tobacco, leather, oriental spices, and a distinctive ferrous and volcanic undertone that is the unmistakable signature of Aglianico on Campanian soils. Powerful on the palate, with dense, still lively tannins in its youth - this is a wine that requires patience and shows at its best after 5-8 years from the vintage. Vibrant acidity, with an exceptionally long and persistent finish.

A wine for connoisseurs who want to discover the wine-producing regions of Southern Italy beyond the usual clichés, and understand why Aglianico del Taburno is considered one of the greatest Italian red wines.