Luigi Maffini 'Kleos' Aglianico 2022
The Wine
Immerse yourself in this bouquet, where a silky, velvety texture meets bright, lively acidity. Juicy black cherries mingle with a hint of cranberry sauce, dancing between sweet and sour on the palate. The depth is striking, yet the energy remains vibrant as firm tannins gather toward the finish!
94 Pts Vince Simmon, WRO 'Located South of Taurasi and the Amalfi Coast, Cilento sits along the Mediterranean coast and is home to limestone rich sedimentary soils—a significant difference from Taurasi’s famed volcanic pumice. Founded in 1970, Luigi Maffini is a second-generation, family-owned winery. Aglianico is known for making big, muscular wines with serious ageing potential. Despite its youth, Klèos is drinking nicely already, opening quickly after about an hour. While this will continue to improve through 2034, its reasonable price point means you can probably enjoy a bottle now while you let others rest.'
91 Pts, Eric Guido, VInous 'The 2022 Kleos is stunning, displaying a basket of violets, roses and lavender that gives way to cloves, sweet smoke and crushed blackberries. It opens with a lovely inner sweetness, displaying vividly ripe wild berry fruits that are perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity and chalky mineral tones. The 2022 keeps the energy remarkably high, tapering off long and staining yet still incredibly fresh, with a crisp crunch of tart cherry that punctuates the finale. The Kleos is a varietal Aglianico that’s refined in all neutral barriques.
The Details
Variety - Aglianico
Country - Italy
Region - Campania
Extra - Cork
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
A narrow, winding road leads to Luigi Maffini's picturesque winery, which is undoubtedly one of the most renowned wineries in Campania. His terroir-influenced wines are produced in the northern part of the up-and-coming but still relatively unknown Cilento region, which reveals a completely different side to Campanian viticulture.
"My father planted the first vineyard in Castellabate in 1970," says Luigi Maffini in conversation. He and his wife Raffaella Gallo only started their business in 1996. The winemaking couple studied agricultural science in Naples before founding the company and have a close friendship with the famous oenology professor Luigi Moio, who runs the top winery Quintodecimo further north.
Luigi Maffini's current production philosophy is also characterised by this long-standing exchange between the two winemakers and is entirely geared towards expressing the exceptional terroir of southern Campania in the glass. The wind-swept vineyards on the coast are very different from the warmer sites in the region's interior, which primarily influences the alcohol content and structure of the wines. In addition, the soils in Cilento consist mainly of sandstone, clay and marl, which give the wines a more mineral and fruity character compared to the intense vigour of the volcanic soils in Avellino.
Maffini's 20 hectares of vineyards are now divided between two locations: A smaller part is located not far from the archaeological site of Paestum in the villages of Giungano and Trentinara at an altitude of 300 to 350 metres above sea level. The majority of the historic vineyards, which were also planted by
Luigi's father, grow behind Punta Licosa in the paradisiacally beautiful area of Castellabate, which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Raffaella and Luigi cultivate their vineyards according to organic guidelines and see themselves as guardians of biodiversity. As a result, they have introduced the rigorous reuse of rainwater for their wine production, as well as the use of renewable energy and fully recyclable materials. Today, the impressive organic range includes two white wines, Kratos and Pietraincatenata, made from the ancient Fiano grape variety, as well as three red wines: Klèos, Cenito and Siopè, made from 100% Aglianico grapes.
The family winery remains true to the local wine culture with its choice of grape varieties and demonstrates the great potential of Cilento year after year. Compared to better-known growing areas such as Taurasi and Avellino, the wines are softer and their structure leaner. But don't be fooled: These are still wonderfully characterful and powerful wines from the south of Italy. SUPERIORE.DE
