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The1 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s wine though it is available in other countries. This is an IGP-designated wine, the top rating is DOCG followed by DOC. IGP wines have less stringent growing and producing regulations and are often sourced from vineyards in more generic growing regions.
Aglianico is said to be one of the three top Italian Red Grapes, Sangiovese in the north, Nibbiolo in the center, and Aglianico to the south. Puglia is situated in the boot heel of Italy’s boot and is where much of the affordable wine in Italy is produced, though drinking locally in Italy is the norm.
Much of the talk about Aglianico being one of the top 3 grapes centers around age-worthy wine. The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 is a drink-it-now everyday wine.
The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 is from vineyards with ancient volcanic soil and has cooling breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Tyrrhenian Sea is on the west coast of Italy so the vineyards must be on the western side of Puglia.
On a side note, both the “G’ in Puglia and Aglianico are silent it seems when there is a “gl” in a word only the L is pronounced.
The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 has tasting notes which are rare for a Trader Joe’s wine. While the bulk of the notes talk about the Epicuro brand being named after Epicurus a Greek philosopher who said the only goal in life is to seek pleasure and avoid pain, which sounds good to me.
The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 was macerated in stainless steel tanks. Maceration is a technique where the grape skins are kept with the juice for an extended period of time. The alcohol content is 13%.
The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is dark black cherry red. The nose is subtle, there is a little cheery, some herbs, a hint of mint, and extracted blackberry. The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 is a ripe and juicy Red wine, but still balanced.
This Italian Red wine tastes like blackberry, cola, raspberry, muted spice, and plum. The mid-palate offers a salty sensation, ripe cherry, orange zest, and blueberry.
The tasting notes sound like this is a “fruit bomb” but it isn’t there is a nice balance to the flavors. The tannins are soft and the acidity allows the flavors to unfold but otherwise stays out of the way.
The Summary
- The Epicuro Puglia Aglianico 2021 is a tasty, well-made wine and a bargain at $5.99.
- Both Trader Joe’s and Aldi have sneaky good imported wines, so add this wine to their “good” list.
