Wine Maker: Caduceus Cellars

Vintage: 2012

Wine Name/Vineyard: Aglianico

Wine Category: Aglianico

Grape blend: 100% Aglianico

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: New Mexico

State or country: New Mexico

Price: ~$50.00

ABV: 13.5%

Cases produced: N/A

The Barrel Cellar Score:  92 points

Review date: November 28, 2020

About the Winemaker: Caduceus Cellars’ tasting room sits in beautiful Jerome Arizona. The wine I’m reviewing today, was an offering through their “Velvet Slipper’s Club” wine club. While the majority of their vineyards are in Arizona, these grapes were sourced from their property in New Mexico.

Aglianico is a grape most known for its popularity in the vineyards of southern Italy. It is known to thrive in sunny and warm climates making the southwest United States a suitable farming region for the dark grapes.

Color: Persian Plum

Nose: Candied cherry, cedar, and earth.

Taste: Fresh red berries, leather, and a hint of cinnamon.  Finish: Sustained with oak and dried herbs

Assessment: Caduceus Cellar’s Aglianico is Yin and Yang in a glass. It’s good vs. evil, will vs weakness, ego vs essence, and acidity vs tannin. The latter being of most importance in a wine review of course. The acidity in this wine is up front on the palate. A medium body delivers both reserved fruit notes, and a sort of “old world” refined essence. The wine offers fantastic soft and grippy tannins that intertwine with perfectly measured acidity. The balance here is impressive; it is parts old world and new, and the tannin and acidity are crafted so that they nearly reach perfection in proportion. After finishing the bottle I opened another. It’s that good.

Ready to drink now (decant)

VSC Aglianico from Caduceus Cellars is a very good wine.  92 points. 

Pairing recommendation: Goat cheese flatbread, grilled venison loin, or dark chocolate truffles.