Villa Raiano has been in existence since 1996, when the family who had subsisted on the land for generations decided to turn their olive oil company into a winery. Located in the cool, mountainous region of Irpinia in Southern Italy, Villa Raiano is committed to growing and producing strictly native, regionally-specific Italian varietals. Greco, Fiano and Aglianico are the three varietals that the estate works with, and ever since their inception in 1996, they have been leading the way for the region. All of their vineyards are farmed organically and as locals who revere the land, they are proud to maintain a biodiverse environment in and around the vineyards. Local chestnut, oak and beech trees dot the mountainous terrain, while sheep and cattle graze the lands. Because certain areas can be rather cool with little sun at times, the grapes grow best high on the warmer hillsides that were naturally created by erosion. In Taurasi the soils are mainly limestone, clay and volcanic and most vineyards are planted close to 2000 feet, which is aids Aglianico to be ripe, but simultaneously incredibly fresh and structured due to the cool evenings. The grapes are harvested by hand in early November after careful sorting in the vineyard and fermentation is done in stainless steel. The wines spend 24 months in both barrique and large oak casks and another 12 months in the bottle before they are released.
Villa Raiano’s 2008 Taurasi has an opaque dark ruby core that slowly moves to garnet and amber hues on the rim, appropriately showing a bit of age. The aromatics of this wine are enticing, drawing you in with every sniff of ripe fruit balanced by dark fruited characters of black plum, dried black cherries, dried raspberries, dried roses, dried orange peel savory aromas of fennel, tomato leaf, dried leather, black pepper, red tobacco, soft red clay and a touch of cedar. The palate is even more enticing with serious layers of structure and freshness, jam-packed with red and black plum, black cherry, sweet tobacco, dried clay and crushed rocks. The body is full and round, and the tannins are well structured similar to Nebbiolo, but overall the palate has a bit more sweetness of fruit surrounding the tannins than a Nebbiolo would. This wine will probably peak over the next 3-5 years and Taurasi at a decade old seems to hit a sweetspot, so please be patient. If drinking now, ideally decant for 45 minutes before serving just above cellar temperature in large Bordeaux stems. For pairing, a tasty Italian red like this calls for
a great beef dish, see recipe here.
