Winemaker Notes
All roast and braised meats, game, wild boar, ragout, beef fillet, rib-eye steaks, grilled lamb chop, game, spicy dishes, mushrooms, truffles and mature cheeses such as seasoned provolone, parmigiano or gorgonzola pair beautifully with this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 Taurasi Pago dei Fusi is a huge, explosive wine. It possesses superb delineation of aromas and flavors to match its dark, brooding personality. Sweet balsamic notes develop in the glass, adding further complexity as the wine gradually builds towards a powerful close. The 2005 doesn't appear to quite have the finesse of the 2004, but it comes very close. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.
Terredora Di Paolo is one of the leading estates in Campania. This is a superb set of releases, with many excellent choices at all price ranges. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the 2009 Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso or the 2005 Taurasi Campore, as the estate thought those wines needed further bottle age.
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Wine Spectator
A grippy, mountain red, displaying firm wild berry, spice, flint and underbrush notes tightly wound with medium tannins framing the detailed, minerally finish. Drink now through 2018. 300 cases imported.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.