Cantine Lonardo Taurasi

Readers who want to know why Taurasi is often referred to as the “Barolo of the South” need to check out Lonardo’s 2004 Taurasi. This powerful, vibrant wine explodes from the glass with masses of dark red fruits, cured meats, earthiness, spices, melted road tar, violets and minerals. Despite its sheer size, the wine also possesses remarkable clarity and transparency. Today, this is an exuberant and massively tannic wine, so a minimum of another year or two of cellaring seems prudent. Simply put, this traditionally-styled, old-school Taurasi rocks. Anticipated maturity: 2010–2024.

The term “Old World” gets thrown around an awful lot in wine tasting notes, but there really is no other descriptor to fit this wine so unequivocally! Rich, organic flavors dominate — I picked up a lot of earth, and even detected notes of soy sauce — but there are some sour cherry and cranberry flavors underneath. Deeply extracted and full-flavored, with terrific acidity that makes it perfect for pairing. Serve with something slow-roasted or braised, especially anything gamey like venison.