Sold Out
Cantina Giardino

Aglianico Le Fole 2015

Price: $37.95
Enter your email address below to be notified when this product is back in stock.
Tasting notes

Le Fole sits in a register you rarely find in Aglianico: the 30-day maceration gives genuine tannic grip and dark-fruited depth, but the altitude and volcanic soils keep the acidity alive and the wine from feeling heavy. The nose delivers black pepper, dried herbs, and a balsamic earthiness that opens into dark cherry and iron-edged minerality with time in the glass.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Black PepperBlack CherryEarthRosemary
  • Style: Dry, full-bodied red; deep ruby; earthy, spiced, and mineral; ~13% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Aglianico; ~80-year-old vines; volcanic soils; Montemarano, Irpinia; ~500m elevation; organically farmed
  • Winemaking: 30-day skin maceration; indigenous yeast fermentation; ~1 year in old chestnut barrels; unfined, unfiltered, minimal added sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 63-66F; decant 1-2 hours minimum; continues to open over several hours
  • Pairing: Braised lamb, wild boar ragu, bistecca fiorentina, aged Caciocavallo, Pecorino Romano
  • Similar To: For fans of Taurasi and structured southern Italian reds who want a natural, low-intervention expression

Cantina Giardino Aglianico Le Fole 2015 is a dry red wine made from 100% Aglianico sourced from a single old-vine parcel in the Montemarano subzone of Irpinia, Avellino province. The vines are approximately 80 years old and planted at around 500 metres above sea level on volcanic soils. Le Fole sits in the middle of Cantina Giardino's three-tier Aglianico range, above the shorter-aged Re and below the extended Drogone.

The grapes are hand-harvested in late October and undergo 30 days of skin maceration with spontaneous fermentation using only indigenous yeasts. Aging follows in large old chestnut barrels for approximately one year, then continues in bottle before release. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with sulfur used only when considered strictly necessary.

The name Le Fole translates from old Italian as "the fables," a reference chosen by Antonio and Daniela De Gruttola to reflect their imagination and connection to the storied landscape of Irpinia. The volcanic and clay-limestone soils of Montemarano sit directly adjacent to the Taurasi DOCG zone, and the wine shares that appellation's characteristic structure, savory depth, and aging capacity.

Classified as Campania IGP, which gives the De Gruttolas flexibility to work outside the formal DOCG framework while still expressing the full character of the Montemarano terroir.

Le Fole has the tannin and acidity to cut through braised and roasted red meats: slow-cooked lamb shoulder, wild boar ragu over pasta, or bistecca fiorentina. Aged Caciocavallo or Pecorino Romano also work well, as the fat in the cheese softens the wine's grippy edges. Avoid delicate or lightly seasoned dishes; this wine needs food with substance.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Aglianico
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2015
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Campania
Appellation:, Campania IGP
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Cantina Giardino

Cantina Giardino was founded in Ariano Irpino by Antonio and Daniela De Gruttola, growing out of informal winemaking experiments in the late 1990s at the cellar of a local figure known as Professor Giardino, whose name the winery carries. The commercial project formally launched in 2003. Antonio trained in food technology before specializing in viticulture and oenology in Piedmont. Daniela, trained as an architect, handcrafts terracotta amphorae from soil taken directly from the vineyards. Their founding purpose was specific: identify and rescue old-vine parcels throughout Irpinia that local farmers could no longer afford to maintain, particularly after the 1980 earthquake drove widespread vineyard abandonment across the province.

Today Cantina Giardino manages approximately seven hectares across sixteen parcels throughout Avellino province, with varieties including Aglianico, Fiano, Greco, and Coda di Volpe, some vines exceeding 100 years old. All farming is organic, all vineyard work is done by hand, and vines are trained in the traditional alberello system wherever possible. Biodiversity is maintained within the parcels, with grasses, herbs, and in some cases vegetable gardens growing between vine rows.

In the cellar, Antonio ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control. Aging vessels vary by cuvee and vintage, ranging from terracotta and sandstone amphorae to casks of local chestnut, acacia, cherry, and mulberry. Le Fole undergoes 30 days of skin maceration, followed by approximately one year in large old chestnut barrels. The wines are bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfites unless considered strictly necessary. Each vintage carries a label designed by a different local artist.

Wine region

Campania, Italy

Irpinia is the mountainous inland territory of Campania, contained within the province of Avellino in southern Italy. The terrain sits northeast of Naples at elevations regularly exceeding 400 metres in vineyard sites, with the highest parcels reaching 500 metres or more. The climate is markedly continental: winters bring snow to the highest sites, summers are warm but moderated by altitude, and the long, dry autumn allows late-ripening varieties like Aglianico to reach full maturity while preserving natural acidity. The volcanic and calcareous-clay soils across Irpinia's hillsides contribute mineral richness, excellent drainage, and a saline quality that distinguishes wines grown here from those of the warmer Campanian coast.

Irpinia holds three prestigious DOCG appellations: Taurasi for Aglianico-based reds, Fiano di Avellino for whites from the Fiano grape, and Greco di Tufo for whites from the Greco variety. Taurasi, often called the Barolo of the South, requires a minimum of three years aging before release and produces wines with high tannin, high acidity, and the capacity to age for decades. The broader Campania IGP designation, used by Cantina Giardino for Le Fole, covers wines that fall outside the strict DOCG framework but are drawn from the same volcanic hillside parcels in and around the Taurasi zone. Montemarano, the key subzone from which Cantina Giardino sources Le Fole, sits directly adjacent to the Taurasi DOCG boundary and is one of Irpinia's most respected sites for Aglianico cultivation.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

This collection features our best selling natural wine from all around the world. It's the best place to start you natural wine journey! Browse one of the largest selections of natural wine available online in the United States.

Primal Wine Natural Wine Club is the best way to discover natural wine. Let us do the heavy-lifting, sit back, and relax. We will send you an ever-changing selection of natural wine made by top producers from around the world.

Our customers love Primal

I'm just copying and pasting from the hundreds messages we received, no pseudo reviews!
Erin C.

We love our membership so far and can't wait until our next shipment.

Jennifer B.

A note to say that we are loving the tasting notes sheet you’re sending!

James S.

I'm really happy to find Primal – your selections are terrific. 

Samuel M.

Love your company, always a great wine selection. 

Chelsea V.

I love what you guys do!

What Is | Primal Wine

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is a type of wine made in small batches from organic or biodynamic grapes with minimal intervention.
What Is Biodynamic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic wine is wine made from grapes farmed biodynamically. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach.
What Is Organic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is organic wine?

Organic wine is made with grapes farmed organically. Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming.
What Is Vegan Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is vegan wine?

Vegan wine is wine made without using animal products during the fining phase of the clarification process.