Paternoster Del Vulture Synthesi 2003 at A16

I've been to A16 on Chestnut Street a couple of times before, but only to sample the amazing Italian selections by the glass and enjoy the Marina scene. Last night, I finally dined there and had some good dishes and one excellent value Aglianico that I thought I should share.

Admittedly, my knowledge of Italian wines is pretty limited, but repeat visits to A16 surely will help. They specialize in real Southern Italian foods from Campania and Napoli and have lots of Southern Italian wines to match. The highlight of the evening was the sausage pizza from the wood-fired oven and the chanterelle pasta.

I got there a bit early and had a glass of the Paternoster Del Vulture Synthesi 2003 from Bottega del Vulture and it was so delicious that I ordered a bottle when my friend arrived for dinner.

The Synthesi is the least expensive of the Paternoster offerings, and I will try to find some of the higher-end bottles because this one was so tasty.

Color: Deep and dark, like an Amarone
Nose: Prunes, fig, woody mushrooms, with a pleasant oaky-mossy-lilypad kind of thing going on.
Taste: Dried cherries and orange peel, chocolate. Chewy and tannic, but not too gripping. Has a lot of old oak on it.
Repeat buy? Absolutely. This is probably around $20 retail.