Tasting Notes: The Joaquin Aglianico I Viaggiatori comes from 1.2 hectares of ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines between 150 and 200 years of age, trained high above the ground and spaced widely, with gnarled trunks and vast arms that occasionally touch across the rows. This astonishing parcel is located in the commune of Paternopoli, in the Taurasi appellation’s southernmost and coolest subzone. I Viaggiatori (“The Travelers”), is a gutsy but finesse-driven Aglianico that spends slightly less time in barrel and typically bears a slightly lower alcohol level than the Taurasi proper. Aged in used oak barrels following a 15-day maceration in old open-top wooden casks, “I Viaggiatori” combines tangy, resonant acidity with dark cherry fruit, with ripe tannins and a surprising freshness.
