The Difference Between Rustic and Incompetence

I struggle with “rustic.” I have a glass of Aglianico in front of me. The aromas are bold with plenty of secondary and tertiary notes to make it interesting. But it is rustic even after 8 yrs in the bottle. What do I mean by rustic? There some obvious VA lurking in those aromas. And the edgy, thick tannins are made more edgy by high acidity that bites just as the tannins swell. The wine is telling you “I’m not trying to be pretty.” Message received. But I know that with the right food, this wine might sing. I’m thinking wild boar cacciatore. I also know that in the right mood, even without the food, I might really like this wine. So is this just bad winemaking or is the winemaker a secret friend, sensitive to moods and nuance, creating wines not only of place but for occasions? If you’re a wine lover you don’t have to decide. Put a cork in it and try it again tomorrow. But I’m in the scribe tribe; I like verdicts and arguments. I want to know is it worthy or not. Today we’re deep into…