2008 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT, Italy, Campania, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$84.00USD

Great showing.  This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico from Campagna in Italy.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and a bit flat.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, dried cherries, herbal notes, forest floor and spice.  Complex.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is complex.  Lots of fresh cherries and black cherries with some tobacco, leather and spice.  Long finish.  This is close to or at peak.  It drinks nicely on its own and will work well with many foods.  Roasted poultry should work well.  Drink over the ne

2018 Lunarossa Quartara Colli di Salerno IGT, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

This is a really interesting white wine from southern Italy.  It is 100% Fiano grapes.  They are vinified in buried amphora lined with beeswax with their skins.  They are then aged for a time in wood barrels before being bottled.  Light golden in color with a touch of deeper hues.  The nose is different with dried flowers, some earthiness, and a bit of lemony notes.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this has a round mouthfeel but good acidity.  Lemony notes with a bit of funk.  Long finish.  This would be excellent with most fresh seafoods.  As for ageing, it should go another few ye

2008 Contrade di Taurasi (Cantine Lonardo) Taurasi Le Coste, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$54.00USD

This is 100% Aglianico from southern Italy.  Amazingly, the grapes are not harvested until November but the vineyards are at 1300 feet.  They are also ungrafted!  The wine is ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, anise, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is deep.  Dark cherries, cherries and black licorice.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  Osso Bucco would be classic but it went great with vegan "Italian Sausage" as well.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.   

2002 Salvatore Molettieri Taurasi Cinque Querce, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2002
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$34.00USD

Made from the Aglianico grape.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice.  Showing some age with cherries, sour cherries, tobacco and just a bit of milk chocolate.  Medium bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Great acidity.  On the palate fresh and dried cherries, slight forest floor and a bit of smoked herbs.  Complex.  It unwinds nicely in the glass.  Long finish.  Pretty much at peak or perhaps just past.  Very nice on its own.

2021 Mastroberardino Fiano di Avellino Radici, Italy, Campgna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

I don't see this wine often, so it is always a treat to try.  Made from the Fiano grape.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears, slight nutty note, "white" floral qualities, and just a bit of pineapple.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this took about twenty minutes to open and then was singing.  A lively wine with nice minerality.  Pineapples, some honeydew, and some citrus.  Long finish.  very nice on its own, but better with food.  It went well with a Veggie Flatbread but even better with a Carmelized Onion Flatbread.  Long finish.  Drink over

2017 Calafè Taurasi, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

Taurasi DOCG is made from Aglianico grapes and is one of the most underrated grapes anywhere.  The more "serious" ones can age fr thirty years, and the more accessible ones are usually great values.  This is the later.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose has black cherries, char, and slight spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, cherries and black licorice.  Good acidity.  Good finish. This is delicious and drinks easily on its own although it will work great with a nice pizza.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

2019 Guido Marsella Fiano di Avellino, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

Pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears with a slight herbal note.  Medium bodied.  Dry.  On the palate, this is refreshing with some depth. Moderate acidity.  The palate has pears, minerals and slight wax.  Moderate finish.  This will work well with lighter foods but a Margherita pizza would work well, too.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

2009 Case d'AltoTaurasi Docg Riserva, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

This is a serious wine and in a great place right now.  By law, Taurasi Riserva's must be aged in wood for four years prior to release.  They are made from the Aglianico grape.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, char, pine and spice.  Firm tannins.  Lush texture.  This is delicious. On the palate, black raspberry fruit.  Deep.  Long finish.  It seems to be getting close to peak but not there yet.  This should improve a bit over the next five to ten years, and will drink well for fifteen to twenty after that.  No harm drinking today, but give it

2000 Di Meo Fiano di Avellino Selezione Erminia, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2000
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$48.00USD

This is a wine with an interesting story and it was nice to get to try it.  Roberto Di Meo utilized late harvest grapes but fermented it dry.  It was then aged in stainless steel before bottling.  The first release of the wine was in 2014.  The wine has gotten rave reviews from some critics and less so, from others.  It is made from the Fiano di Avellino grape in southern Italy.  Fans should keep an eye out as this is a difficult sell and will occasionally appear on close out sites such as WTSO.  As for this bottle, it bottle 7536/9000.  Light green/gold in color, very light and fresh and h

2012 Lunarossa Borgomastro Colli di Salerno IGT, Italy

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is a wine from Campania in south/central Italy.  It is made 100% from Aglianico grapes.  Deep purple in color, opaque and bright.  There is a lot of Brettanomyces yeast on the nose giving it a heavy barnyard scent.  This will often be different in different bottles, but given the level in the bottle I had, it will be problematic for some.  I am relatively tolerant of the scent but it made it difficult to get anything else on the nose.  Luckily, it was a bit cleaner on the palate.  Black cherry fruit of an earthiness.  Nice texture.  Good acidity.  Moderate finish.  This will work bette

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