A chance tasting of a rare bottle of the 1968 vintage led Simon to become increasingly interested in the wines of Mastroberardino and the Aglianico grape variety. Below, we draw your attention to the most recent release from the same producer; namely2008 Taurasi Radici Riserva ‘Antonio’, Mastroberardino offered here at £140 per six bottles in bond.
In 1968, Mastroberardino took the unprecedented step of producing three single vineyard Taurasi, namely Castelfranci, Montemarano and Pian d’Angelo. I tasted the exceptional Castelfranci Riserva last year, though I have now read serious endorsements for each of the three. 1968 was, I believe, the last time that these single vineyard wines had been made.
To say I was impressed by this wine would be an understatement. I was staggered by how fresh it was after 47 years in bottle and how youthful it was in terms of colour and palate. Tasted blind, I could easily have believed this 1968 was from the mid to late 1980s. It was packed with deep fruit, notes of dark cherry, fresh tobacco leaf and mint allied to chocolatey, brooding dark fruit notes and a markedly mineral back bone. There was nothing fragile about the 1968; this was still a rich wine, but nor was there any loss of elegance. In fact, it was the overriding sense of clarity and precision that impressed me so much. This was a truly great wine and one of the most surprising wines that I have tasted in a long time.
Taurasi is produced from a hilly district in Campania, 40 kilometres due east of Naples, called Irpinia, just outside Avellino. Its reputation is built on the success of the Aglianico variety on the higher altitude sites. It should not be such a surprise that Taurasi belongs in the front row of Italian reds as the regions between Avellino and Naples boast a rich history of wine production – possibly more so than any other you might name – given that the great crus of Ancient Rome emanated from right here. Aglianico is believed to have been brought to Italy by early Greek settlers, leading renowned French oenologist, Denis Dubourdieu to comment that ‘Aglianico is probably the grape with the longest consumer history of all.’
The estate of Mastroberardino was founded in 1878, extends over 200 hectares across 13 different vineyard sites and still remains in family control. The Mastroberardinos are considered trailblazers, accredited with starting the renaissance in Southern Italian wine. Their Radici Riserva is considered to be one of the finest reds in the south. Much of their reputation is due to the late Antonio Mastroberardino, who was sometimes termed the ‘Grape Archaeologist’ given his work in preserving old clones of regional varieties. Antonio passed away in January 2014 and the family have just released a Riserva in his honour; a single vineyard Riserva from the Montemarano vineyard, last released – you guessed it – in 1968.
For a Taurasi to receive a riserva designation, the wine must be aged for four years before release, eighteen months of which must be in barrel.
2008 Taurasi Radici Riserva ‘Antonio’, Mastroberardino
96 points, Monica Larner (erobertparker.com)
£140 per 6 bottles in bond
The 2008 Taurasi Radici Riserva Antonio is a one-off wine made only this vintage to celebrate the incredible life and influence of Antonio Mastroberardino who passed away in January 2014. The wine is made only with fruit from the Montemarano vineyard and it ages in wood for 30 months (40% sees botte grande and 60% goes into barrique). This is a beautifully polished and sophisticated wine with a deep, dark color and an impressively silky quality to the tannins. The bouquet shows ethereal tones of dried earth, rose petal, tar, resin and cola. The 2008 vintage was especially successful terms of phenolic ripeness for color intensity and aromas. I went back to the wine an hour after tasting it and was delighted to see that it continued to evolve and open. This is an elegant wine dedicated to one of the most passionate advocates of Campania wine. Drinking 2015 to 2035.