There are some nicely toasted notes to the 2015 Aglianico del Vulture Stupor Mundi, showing black fruit intensity with characteristic volcanic notes and ash. There is some interesting sourness to it. It may not have exactly the pedigree of its namesake, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, but I did appreciate its ripeness and intensity.

The 2014 Aglianico del Vulture Stupor Mundi opens to an inky black and impenetrable appearance. The bouquet is heavily powered by a combination of ripe fruit and oak. It is aged in 500-liter barrels for 13 months, half of which is new oak. The effect is jammy, spicy, syrupy and overdone in my view. There is ample campfire ash and barbecue smoke on the finish. Bottle production is 9,000 units strong.