© Copyright 1998 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.

Paternoster 1994 Aglianico del Vulture ($14.99) From the province of Basilicata in the "arch" of the Italian "boot," this unusual and hearty red wine is made from the same Aglianico grape as the somewhat more familiar Taurasi. It's an inky dark-ruby in color, with a ripe, plummy fruit scent accompanied by aromatic whiffs of anise and mint. Its full black-fruit flavor shows ripe plums and juicy raisins, but lemon-squirt acidity and soft tannins provide structure. It's a warm-climate wine to be sure; no one would mistake it for Bordeaux or Burgundy. But there's complexity here, and balance. It's a memorable wine. U.S. importer: Vias Imports Ltd., NYC. (Aug. 8, 1998) FOOD MATCH: Works well with grilled T-bones. Have you tasted this wine? E-mail me your tasting notes, and I'll consider adding them to this page. Previous day's wine note All my wine-tasting reports are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores.