Wine Enthusiast: 94 pts
The savory, intensely umami nose features aromas of balsamic, soy sauce, seaweed and dried cherries and figs. The palate is dense with those dusty fruit notes, which are underscored by a sudden flood of salty dark chocolate. Acid gleams around powerful tannins.
Wine Advocate: 90 pts
With fruit from old vines aged 60 to 80 years old, the single-vineyard 2019 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Damaschito has a more chiseled and evolved bouquet with aromas that are a little wild, almost animal-like in character, with vintage leather, teakwood, rum cake, exotic spice and a floral note that appears with great intensity as the wine opens. The tannins are tame for Aglianico, offering structure without the bitterness.
Vinous: 93 pts
Dark and brooding in the glass, the 2019 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Damaschito opens with sage, violet, earth tones, and ash aromas. This is savory to the core, with a nervous feeling. Soft textures race across the palate with tart wild berry fruits and sour citrus nuances. Its minerality comes through in the finish, long and with a bitter tinge, leaving tangerine notes that pucker the cheeks over a bed of fine tannins.