In several offers over the past year, I’ve asserted that southern Italy’s Taurasi is a “collectible” red wine—meaning that it can and should be cellared. A handful of back-vintage Taurasi wines have found their way into the “fine and rare” echelon of the wine market, but for the most part, we just don’t see much aged Taurasi in the market. So naturally I was thrilled to encounter today’s 2007 from Enodelta (especially when I learned the price).
It made me feel proud, in a way: As someone who spends a lot of time touting the wines of Italy, it’s exciting to have bottled evidence of Taurasi’s ageability—and, for that matter, its world-class quality and character. That you’re able to experience this wine for less than $30 speaks to the lack of recognition southern Italy still suffers from. This is wine from a historic appellation and noble grape variety—Aglianico. If you pounce when we offer similarly aged Bordeaux at this price point, this is another opportunity to drink exceptionally well for exceedingly little. Take all the dark fruit concentration and mineral vigor of a well-aged Bordeaux and tack on an extra dose of cigar-box savor, and you’ve got this wine. We’ve got a good amount to share today, so feel free to stock up while we hunt around for other back-vintage Taurasi wines to offer—after this one, I’m on a mission now!
Even though it’s long been nicknamed “the Barolo of the south,” the Taurasi DOCG appellation remains relatively under-explored. 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. There’s no doubt in my mind that Aglianico, whose origins remain unclear—some believe it arrived from Greece, others think it’s indigenous to the region—is one of Italy’s top three “noble” varieties alongside Nebbiolo (Piedmont) and Sangiovese (Tuscany).
The Enodelta winery was founded in the 1980s by an entrepreneur named Antonio Caputo, who now produces a wide range of wines both in and around Naples/Vesuvius (including Lachryma Christi DOC whites and reds from the infamous volcano) and in Irpinia. Shiverick Imports, Enodelta’s Importer, “went big” on this 2007 Taurasi several years ago—so impressed were they by its evolution—and have released it periodically in the time since. Aglianico for the 2007 came from vineyards at 600 meters’ elevation and the wine spent two years aging in oak and another five months in bottle before its initial release. Today’s parcel has impeccable provenance—from the winery to the importer’s cold warehouse and eventually to ours—and it shows in the wine: It still displays a dark, nearly opaque core of color some 10 years on.
What was once an inky, purple-ruby young Aglianico has become more of a blackish garnet over time, with slight hints of orange at the rim. The nose is starting to show some of the ‘secondary’ and ‘tertiary’ notes that come with time in bottle. Dark-toned aromas of blackberry and currant are overlain with earthy/savory notes galore: grill char, roasted meat, leather, warm spice, crushed rocks, cedar, and tobacco. Medium-plus in body and still in possession of some firm tannins, this wine keeps getting better with time open, revealing floral notes and a damp soil component reminiscent of Right Bank Bordeaux (you might also detect similarities to the Malbec-based reds of Cahors). With winter on its way, there are myriad applications for this wine: Decant it (watching for sediment) about 30 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems and pair it with something gamey and gutsy; venison steaks would be great, but if that’s a little much for you, maybe a Provençal-style leg of lamb instead—the flavors in the attached recipe are perfect for this wildly delicious Italian red. Enjoy!
