Aglianico del Vulture, 1961 Red Wine

Description

Aglianico del Vulture 1961 Riforma Fondiaria Riserva

Vintage & Background
1961 is considered a classic year in Italian wine history, particularly for Nebbiolo and similarly age-worthy grapes. Here, the Aglianico grape—the noble red of Southern Italy—is showing what decades in bottle can do when it comes from volcanic soil on the slopes of Monte Vulture. The “Riserva” designation and “Riforma Fondiaria” name suggest extra care, selection, and ageing; this is a wine made to be savoured with patience.

Appearance & Nose
Given its age, you can expect the wine to show a deep garnet centre, but with rim tones tending more toward tawny, russet, or mahogany. On the nose, tertiary aromas dominate: dried cherry, leather, tobacco leaf, underbrush, perhaps some dried rose petal or violet. There may be hints of balsam, forest floor, and maybe a whisper of smoky minerality—smoke, tar, or volcanic ash—that come from both the grape’s natural intensity and its terroir.

Palate & Texture
On the palate, the wine is likely to be gentle rather than aggressive. Tannins by now are mellowed, the sharp edge rounder, with acidity softened but still present enough to give lift. Flavour layers might include cooked or dried red fruit (cherry, cranberry), leather and spice, perhaps dried figs or prune, rustic herbs, earth, and something savory or smoky. Texture tends toward smooth, velvety, maybe even silky in the mid-palate, though not without structure. The finish may be long, lingering in savoury, herb, and dry fruit tones rather than fresh fruit.

Maturity & Drinking Window
This wine is very much in its mature stage. If it has been stored well, this is a “drinking now” wine — the sort of bottle that rewards slow sipping, contemplation, letting it open in the glass. The magic here is in nuanced texture, in aroma evolution, in savoury suggestions more than youthful brightness. Any further ageing will mostly deepen tertiary character, but risks of decline are increasing with time.

Food Pairing & Serving Suggestions
Serve around 15-17 °C, ideally decanted gently so sediment settles and aroma opens. Pair with foods that complement subtlety and age rather than overpower it: slow roasted or braised meats, game, rich mushroom sauces, aged cheeses, perhaps dishes with herbs or lightly smokey/spiced components. A rustic lamb with herbs, or wild boar, or truffle dishes would be good matches.

Overall Impression & Verdict
The “real magic” of this 1961 Aglianico del Vulture Riserva Riforma Fondiaria is in its transformation over time. What began with firm tannin, high acidity, dense fruit has softened into elegance, depth, and complexity. It’s not about freshness now, but about story, texture, memory—the parts of wine that only long-age gives. For collectors and lovers of aged southern Italian wines, this could be a deeply rewarding bottle if condition and provenance are good.

Condition

Good conditions