Feudi di San Gregorio, Irpinia (Campania, Italy) Aglianico 2008

 I consistently like this red wine, and particularly this 2008 vintage.  It has the guts and inherent quality you expect from southern Italy’s great Aglianico grape, but it is more approachable than Taurasi or Aglianico del Vulture, the iconic Aglianico wines — and more affordable.  The wine has aromas of fresh herbs, blackberry, and perfume.  In your mouth, it’s medium-plus bodied, dry, and concentrated in flavors of fresh, dark fruit (not at all baked or over-ripe) as well as mineral notes. Its tannin is fairly fine, but definitely operative in the wine’s considerable structure, along with a serious depth of acidity.  Approachable, yes — I’m happy to drink it tonight.  But if you keep the bottle for a few years, you will probably find it even better than now.  Very food-friendly, with the structure for rich dishes and the freshness of flavor for medium-weight fare.