Hello again, it’s me, David Lynch, back to cajole you into embracing Taurasi as the world-class red wine it is. Maybe you don’t need cajoling, but I’m compelled to do it anyway, because this appellation, and this wine, aren’t included enough in discussions of collectible, cellar-worthy reds from Italy.
Most “fine wine” merchants and auctioneers focus almost exclusively on Tuscan and Piedmontese wines, but Taurasi—nicknamed “the Barolo of the south”—has always been one of Italy’s benchmark appellations. Crafted primarily from the dark and brooding Aglianico grape, which thrives in the volcanic soils of Taurasi (and in those of Monte Vulture, in neighboring Basilicata), today’s wine from Tenuta Ponte has shed much of the youthful ferocity typical of the variety. Its evolving tannins and broadened aromatic complexity are underpinned by deeply concentrated black fruit—another example of the pitch-perfect balance so many European wines achieved in 2010. Then there’s the price of this wine, which I think reflects Taurasi’s status as a woefully under-appreciated region. Put down the Left Bank Bordeaux or Hermitage for a night and give this a try; at this price especially, you cannot go wrong.
But first, just in case, let’s talk about where and what Taurasi is. Taurasi is the namesake village of a relatively small cluster of hills in the Irpinia region of central Campania—about 50 kilometers east of Naples but, physically speaking, a world away. Irpinia is the start of the climb into the Campanian Apennines, with vineyard altitudes typically averaging around 400 meters in thickly forested hillside sites (chestnut groves are another key feature of the region). The soils are a mix of calcareous (i.e. limestone) marls and volcanic deposits, and it’s the latter that the great Aglianico-based reds of the south really speak to: There’s a brooding, smoky, deeply mineral structure to Aglianico that can be downright ferocious, more forbidding in some cases than young Barolo wines from Piedmont.
I’ve argued on more than one occasion that Aglianico, whose origins remain unclear—some believe it arrived from Greece, other think it’s indigenous to the region—is one of Italy’s top three “noble” varieties alongside Nebbiolo (Piedmont) and Sangiovese (Tuscany). Aglianico has everything turned up to 11: tannin, acid, color, fruit concentration…it has it all in abundance. Late-ripening and hardy, it is often harvested as late as October in places like Taurasi, where the wines are then subjected to a minimum of three years’ aging in barrel and bottle before release.
Crafted from 90% Aglianico leavened with 10% of tannin-softening Merlot, the 2010 Taurasi from Tenuta Ponte is both a textbook expression of place and a wine in a very good place in its evolution. In the glass, it is still a deep, nearly opaque ruby, with only the slightest encroaching orange at the rim. The nose is a heady riot of mulberry, blackberry, black currant, wet violets, tar, tobacco, and leather, all of which carry through the full-bodied palate. These wines can often be too brawny and overpowering when they are young, and a few years of bottle age have done wonders for this wine: there is plenty of power hear but also impeccable balance, with sweet and savory sensations vying for supremacy all the way through the long finish. It’s a big red with a little bit of grip still, so decant it about 45 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in large Bordeaux stems. Whenever I’m in possession of a Taurasi like this all I can think of is “grill char.” Give something a good, hard sear and pair it with this wine. It needs to be in your repertoire.
— David Lynch
