There are darker tones of purple and black fruit and some savory chocolate flavors as well in the 2015 Irpinia Aglianico Serpico. This is an ambitious and deeply layered wine that peels back to reveal more spice, tar and volcanic ash hidden deep within its core. I would suggest some more bottle age with this wine, however, as the mouthfeel is sharp and etched in its youth. The wine needs a little more time to flesh out and put on more volume. Serpico goes through an 18-month aging regime in medium-toast French oak. Some 15,000 bottles were made.

This wine needs a little more time to settle. The 2014 Irpinia Aglianico Serpico is a bit rigid and inflexible at first, with pronounced fruit intensity that is direct and sharp. But give this full-bodied Campania red more time to evolve in the glass, and it quietly begins to show its subtle magic. Those fruit tones begin to soften and take on more volume with subtle spice and earthy overtones. The tannins are firm and young. I would recommend waiting another two years (at least) before opening this bottle.

The 2013 Irpinia Aglianico Serpico reveals outstanding depth and centered focus. This balanced vintage (without the sudden heat spikes of 2012 and 2011) excels at providing us with a clear view of the quality of the fruit. This expression of Aglianico is redolent of dark blackberry, campfire ash and tar. The spicy wood element is evident, and the wine is quickly reaching a convincing level of fruit versus oak integration.

The 2012 Irpinia Aglianico Serpico comes from pre-phylloxera vines and the wine is aged in both new and neutral oak. Serpico represents Feudi di San Gregorio's best fruit and the wine philosophy is modern and rich, stylistically speaking. Dark prune, blackberry, spice, licorice, tar, tobacco and balsam herb contribute to the complex bouquet. The mouthfeel is richly textured and velvety. This wine needs a few more years before the fruit reaches full focus.

Slightly hotter in terms of alcohol, the 2011 Irpinia Aglianico Serpico is a powerful and lasting expression of Aglianico from a warm vintage. Big fruit intensity is followed by cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed clove and cured meat. Similar intensity is shown in the mouth where the wine is opulently shaped and generous in terms of extraction and persistency. It closes with ripe fruit flavors and soft tannins.