($70, Winebow): Mastroberardino is, without doubt, one of the top producers in Campania and, indeed, in all of Italy.  Their Taurasi is the benchmark for that appellation.  This 2006 Riserva, amazingly still available at retail — an indication of how underappreciated these are — is sensational.  The aromas of dark fruit, earth and herbs that come from the glass stop you in your tracks.  Mastroberardino has harnessed the Aglianico grape to produce a wine that’s simultaneously powerful and elegant.  Still a baby, with prominent, yet not aggressive tannins, its explosive flavors emerge slowly.  But there is no question that it’s a great wine.  Big, but not boisterous, this wine has a seemingly paradoxical floral component.  That, along with an early tarriness, explains why Taurasi is called the Barolo of the South — without Barolo pricing.  I just bought a case of it, which I intend to leave in the cellar for another decade before opening.
96 Michael Apstein Nov 4, 2014