Italiano
Small Taurasi producers
Taurasi is a wine with a bold structure upheld by an acidity that gives it elegance and long life. There are a number of semi-unknown producers who offer some true gems.
Taurasi is a red wine that epitomizes winemaking tradition in southern Italy. It has a DOCG classification and is produced in 17 townships in the north and eastern zones of the province of Avellino, including the village of Taurasi where the wine originated. It is made from Aglianico grapes which must represent 85% of those used while the other 15% also have to be red grapes. Regulations governing its production calls for the wine to mature for a minimum if three years – at least one in wood – for the vintage version, while the Reserve must age for four years, including 18 months in wood. The long aging period allows the tannins, which are abundant in Aglianico, to soften and achieve a balance upheld by the acidity, another characteristic of this varietal.
The vines can be trained in various ways from the modern Guyot method to the traditional festoni and alberate taurasine ones which for centuries were used for Aglianico in this area and are still widely employed in the older vineyards. Aside from the better-known and recognized producers, there are a host of smaller ones, winegrowers who for generations have cultivated their families’ vineyards many of which still have vines planted before the phylloxera plague and who for years have supplied their grapes to the bigger wineries. The majority of these winegrowers, not having a commercial organization behind them, only make limited amounts of their own wine and their aim is to give it the aromas and flavors of the land. Much is still done by hand and the combination of tradition and modern techniques in the winemaking process serve to conserve and exalt the typicity of the wine.
The result are Taurasi wines that in their early years have aromas of violet, blueberry and cherry, while in later years they take on nuances of prune, pepper, licorice, eucalyptus and resin. They are wines with a bold structure, upheld by an acidity that gives them elegance and a long life. These are wines that in some versions and vintages are among the best Italy produces.
