2022 Bella Sirena Falanghina Beneventano, Italy, Campania, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$28.00USD

This is 100% Falanghina from Campagna, Italy.  Pale silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with limes and meyer lemons and a bit of salinity.  Medium bodied.  A nice backbone of acidity.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Flavors of lemons, slight limes and a slight almond note on the finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  A great choice for pasta with a butter or garlic sauce.  Drink over the next couple of years.

2015 Lunarossa Borgomastro Colli di Salerno IGT, Italy, Campagna, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

This is 100% Aglianico from Campagna in Italy.  This is a grape that can be made for ageing and this bottling is the wineries top choice for having a long life.  At age 9, it is showing some age but seems like it has a lot left to offer.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, smoked fruits, spice, coffee beans and minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity especially for such a ripe wine.  On the palate, this has a deep, layered complexity.  Flavors of black cherries, some boysenberries with minerality and char.  Long finish.  Thi

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.  

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