The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Campania

DOCGStill huntingEasy

Taurasi DOCG

The south's great age-worthy red, released after three years (four for Riserva) and often not ready for ten. Aglianico on volcanic clay gives sour black cherry, dried rose, tar, smoke, tobacco, black pepper and a leathery, balsamic note with age, wrapped in high acidity and dense, drying tannin. Young Taurasi is severe; mature Taurasi has the perfume of Barolo with the darker, earthier weight of the south. Mastroberardino's 1968 is the wine that proved the category, and the best current producers (Molettieri, Quintodecimo, Lonardo, Caggiano) build on that model.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Feudi di San Gregorio
Taurasi
The most available serious Taurasi; black cherry, tobacco, cocoa and a polished but firm tannin, drinkable at six years.
$35 to $42Wine-Searcher
Mastroberardino
Taurasi 'Radici'
Winebow import and the historic benchmark; dried cherry, dried rose, tar and leather with high acid and long, dusty tannin, needs a decade.
$50 to $60Wine-Searcher
Salvatore Molettieri
Taurasi 'Vigna Cinque Querce'
Old vines at Montemarano, the coldest, highest part of the zone; dense, smoky, black-fruited and massively tannic in youth.
$50 to $65Wine-Searcher