The Wine Fairy

Small wine shops are the best, am I right? Even better are the ones with a “drink it here” option.

Once a week or so, I make a date night out of it and choose a bottle that I can’t find on every wine list in town. Often, it’s a bottle I doubt is on any wine list in town.

My weeknight sippers consist of wines from small producers, end-of-vintage closeouts, and regional grapes. These under-the-radar wines are well-priced and often come with great stories.

This bottle was a recommendation from wine rep Tim from Vintures. The label (helpfully) says it’s 100% Aglianico. I like Aglianico, and so I inquire about it.

Tim asks me if I know about the Falerno del Massico DOC. I say that I don’t. He tells me that it’s a relatively recent DOC classification (1989), and can mostly be attributed to the persistent work of one dude. That would be Nicola Trabucco of Cantina Trabucco, whose vineyards lie within its boundaries on the slopes of Monte Massico.

I say that sounds like a neat trick, and wonder how one goes about establishing one’s own DOC. Tim tells me that it helps if you find some long-buried Roman vineyards under your property and can prove a distinctive terroir and regional style. And in Italy, it’s much easier to resurrect an ancient wine appellation if it’s mentioned in the classics–say, the writings of Horace and Pliny the Elder, as the Falernian wines are.

No Roman ruins, dead poets, or extinct volcanoes means probably no DOC for you. (Well, shoot. I’m sold on the bottle, anyway.)

ÉRRE turns out to be an intense and inky wine with aromas of earth and spice. “Érre” in Campanian dialect means “red ant” and is a nickname for rambunctious children. This wine is so named because it is meant to be the youngest and wildest of Trabucco’s lineup.

This wine is not for everyone. (I couldn’t find a Rosso-drinking buddy that night and so ended up finishing most of the bottle myself.) It’s ample, rustic, balsamic–a true expression of Aglianico grown on volcanic soil and made by someone who’s clearly used to doing things their own way.

Dark in the glass, with the edge of the rim fading to garnet. A massive noseful of dried dark cherry and dried plums, liberally seasoned with anise and chicory. A touch of violet and vanilla, too.

On the palate, chocolate, black raisins, blackberry, and coffee subside to dark mulch and aged grape must. It has very high tannins and an earthy thickness that lingers for a while on the tongue. But overall, the fruit tastes fresher than the somewhat prune-y aromas would suggest, and it still has the acidity it needs to keep moody Aglianico from tasting too heavy.

I relished the gutsiness of this wine, and with pleasure I watched its raisiny fruit flavors unfold and expand as they touched the air. But although ÉRRE is certainly energetic and mischievious, it’s no longer especially youthful. If you have the 2020 sitting in your wine rack, it may be time to drink up.

Bottle: Trabucco “ÉRRE” Falerno del Massico (2020)

Variety: Aglianico (100%)

ABV: 14%

Suggested retail: $24.99

My rating: 8.7 (out of 10)

Further reading: Cantina Trabucco

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.