Never has there existed such a sublime match! A pre-Burns night supper run-through, has given me a good excuse to uncork this wine. Originating from just south of Naples on the Campania coast, this wine is predomonatly Aglianico however it has a splash of the local grape Piedirosso added. The wine has been matured in used oak barrels for eight months. Aglianico first comes to light when mentioned by the Roman poet Catullus, as he waxed lyrical about the virtues of 'Falernian' wine, the Roman equivalent of todays 'Cult' or 'First Growths'. Since then it has stepped out of the spotlight adopting a relaxed lifestyle in southern Italy, where the long hot summers protect this vine from the onslaught of botrytis of which it is particularly vulnerable.
With the 2007 KLEOS Aglianico from Luigi Maffini ,the nose is warm and full of dark fruits, slight raisin notes with toasted undertones. The colour stretches down through the glass, deep and inky garnet. In the mouth this wine has a lovely silky texture, with a crunchy finish that is supported by gripping tannins. In between these two sensations are tastes of dark black fruits, ripe damsons and a touch of toasted fruit. Lovely well balanced wine that can handle the meaty spiciness of Scotland'sfinest cuisine, the venerable Haggis. This is not just any old Haggis, but the award winning Haggis produced by Murdoch Brothers Butchers, Forres, Invernesshire. A toast ta ye Rabbie............
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