2023 Somos Biodynamic Aglianico

Impeccable example of Australian Aglianico from a biodynamically-farmed vineyard in McLaren Vale.

Price:
Sale price$38.00
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Description

The Somos crew have had their Aglianico dialled in for a while now but this 2023 biodynamic release might be Mauricio's best yet.

Grown by the legends at Paxton in McLaren Vale, the fruit was picked in April (yep, it ripens that late), bringing deep flavour without sacrificing freshness. But rather than treat it like a full-throttle southern Italian red, winemaker Mauricio Ruiz Cantu approaches Aglianico more like Pinot Noir. That means a whole-bunch ferment, gentle extraction, and pressing before fermentation finishes to avoid the variety’s typical brute force grip.

What you get is a lifted, spice-drenched wine with floral perfume, crunchy red and black fruits, and a long, fine, sappy structure. It’s still unmistakably Aglianico, but leaner, more elegant, and way more drinkable in its youth.

A high-energy, high-character red that’s both delicious and genuinely different.A delicious modern McLaren Vale red.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 5 reviews
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A
Alistair S.
Lighter medium weight Aglianico

Lighter colour than other Aglianicos, similarly only medium intensity compared with Spinifex or SC Pannell. Not that it’s a problem as this offers a lot of complexity - red and darker fruits, savoury herbs, and moreish salinity on the palate. Good food wine. But there’s a minty aroma that IMHO doesn’t do the wine any favours. Others might be able to accept or screen it out.

B
Benjamin J.
surprising, with a meaty punch

full-bodied, with what we consider as light tannins. It has a heavy cured meat/mushroom/ forest floor smell, with deep cherry and red fruit dryness to the tongue. Went amazing with slow-cooked lamb shank ragu. have just brought another 2 :)

J
Julia C.
Delicious

I have had this wine before and I will keep buying it (for as long as I can get it). It's so so delicious!

T
Tristan G.
Great drop

Very interesting and different on the palate. One of the better Aglianicos available in Australia

Y
Yvette B.
Complex, very interesting wine

We tried this at a pizza place first. Loved it, bought more. Leaves me wondering what it is I can taste after every mouthful. I love that. It’s part of the fun of wine for me. Drank a bottle a while back now so can’t recall exactly what we were tasting (I think at one point I said I could taste a Cherry Ripe chocolate bar) - not a weeknight bottle at this price (for us, anyway) but definitely an interesting and yummy vino to look forward to tasting and “working out”

Aglianico is a high octane variety, producers in Campania tend to treat it similarly to Nebbiolo and give it long macerations and consequently long maturation times in oak. We try and treat it more like Pinot Noir. Cold soaking and gentle treatment with whole-bunch ferment, which results in a lighter yet structured Aglianico; tons of spice and flowers, svelte texture, pepper-dashed red and black sour-sweet fruit character.

Picked in April it came in quite cold. About 25% was laid into open fermenter as wholebunch. We let it warm naturally and wild ferment and was plunged daily by hand. We pressed before it finished fermentation to avoid extraction of Aglianico’s typical grip. Matured in 2nd and 3rd fill oak to impart some subtle spice, it rested for 12 months before racking and bottling unfined and unfiltered.

Details
Region
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vintage
2023
Type
Red Wine
Variety
Aglianico
Vegan Friendly

Organic Wine

Price Bracket $31 to $40
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Aglianico
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature Biodynamic
Natural/Lo-Fi
Organic
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

Somos

Mexican winemaker Mauricio Ruiz Cantu is creative mind behind this exciting McLaren Vale project, with the wines exported back to South & Central America as well as sold through just a handful of outlets and venues locally in Australia.

His focus is on 'alternative' varieties from sustainably managed vineyards - Mauricio's Aglianicos and Vermentinos being of particular note. The Somos unique wines are made with a deft touch, not fully natural but absolutely in the more lo-fi end of the winemaking pool.

The resulting wine styles are colourful, perfumed, balanced, and bursting with personality. And universally, they offer terrific value for money.

Just minuscule volumes produced, but great fun to be had across the Somos range.

Winemaker Mauricio Ruiz Cantu Somos

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