D’Angelo, Aglianico del Vulture “Caselle”

The two most important red wine appellations on the southern Italian peninsula are Taurasi, in central Campania, and Aglianico del Vulture, in neighboring Basilicata. Both regions showcase the Aglianico variety in all its muscular, mineral, dark-fruited glory, and in the case of today’s Aglianico del Vulture from D’Angelo, we get a rare chance to see just how well these wines can age. But since we’re deep in the Italian south rather than in Tuscany or Piedmont, the price of admission is astonishingly low. I’d rank D’Angelo’s “Caselle” among the greatest wines of the Italian south, and today’s meaty 2012 lives up to its billing:It is just now starting to broaden and blossom, while still displaying the powerful tannic structure and inky color that characterizes Aglianico. I would love to get in on a tasting table next to some pricier wines from places like Cornas in the Rhône or Mendoza in Argentina, because I’m certain it would perform admirably. The D’Angelo family has been a fixture i