2021 Joaquin - Campania Aglianico I Viaggiatori (750ml)

Sourced from century-old, ungrafted Aglianico vines, the 2021 Joaquin I Viaggiatori captures the mineral-driven elegance of Campania’s coolest southern terroir. Produced by fourth-generation vigneron Raffaele Pagano, this wine represents a deliberate shift away from bulky regional benchmarks toward freshness and structural precision.

Cultivated across just three and a half hectares in Paternopoli, the 150- to 200-year-old vines are high-trained and spaced widely to strictly limit yields and concentrate flavor. Pagano ferments the fruit over fifteen days in traditional open-top wooden vats before maturing the young wine in seasoned oak barrels. This extended contact with neutral wood preserves the grape’s vibrant acidity while softening the natural tannins, resulting in a bottle that drinks younger than its structural backbone suggests. When a higher-priority bottling takes precedence, these exceptional parcels drop to the I Viaggiatori designation, keeping limited annual releases around eighteen thousand copies.

The nose immediately reveals dark cherry and blackberry, woven through with violet petals, aromatic spice, and a faint trace of camphor. Juicy mid-palate brightness frames a backbone of tight, grippy tannins that gradually loosen to unveil layers of dried black tea and sweet licorice.

Its restrained power and balanced acidity make it an ideal companion for slow-cooked meats. Serve alongside herb-crusted lamb, roasted game birds, or a rich beef stew to let the wine’s savory depth shine.