Italy Wines

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Bold and structured red. Dark color; black licorice, raspberry and mineral character and hints of dried flowers; full-bodied, with spicy fruit and undertones of black pepper. Chewy finish. This is fantastic. Best after 2007. 5,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2001 Serpico is another wine that appears to need more bottle age. Today it is in an in-between stage where the fruit is no longer primary but the tertiary notes aren’t fully developed either. The 2001 is a powerful Serpico with impressive tannic clout that will require further cellaring to soften. With time, hints of wild cherries, herbs, chocolate and leather emerge but only with great reluctance. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.Feudi di San Gregorio is one the leading estates in Campania and Italy. Enzo Ercolino spared no expenses in snapping up vineyards and building a state of the art facility that cranks out more than 4 million bottles per year. Along the way Feudi garnered considerable accolades from the press, perhaps too much attention for a winery that was just getting started. Today Feudi is owned and run by the Capaldo family. The estate makes a wide range of whites and reds, but the most consistently outstanding wines are the two Aglianicos; Serpico and the Taurasi Piano di Montevergine. From the outset Serpico was conceived as a more approachable interpretation of Aglianico than Taurasi. The softness of some early vintages suggests other grapes may have been used to help smooth the trademark Aglianico rusticity. The Taurasi di Montevergine was initially made from a number of different parcels although today it is a true single-vineyard wine made from a late-ripening plot that sits at 700 meters above sea level. Over the years, this site has proven to be exceptional in yielding structured Taurasis that at their best capture the full breadth of Aglianico. Consulting oenologist Luigi Moio, who had just returned from a stint in France, made the wines from 1995 through 1998, although he did not see all the wines through to their bottling as he left Feudi in 1999. Moio is one of the key figures in the development of the wines of the south. His consulting projects include Caggiano and Cantina del Notaio, in addition to the superb wines he is making at his own estate, Quintodecimo. At Feudi Moio favored lengthy fermentations often reaching more than 25 days (Moio has since adopted a shorter approach to fermentations with his own wines at Quintodecimo). Malolactic fermentation was done in steel. Moio used 100% new oak for Serpico and 60% new oak for the Piano di Montevergine. Oenologist Riccardo Cotarella made the wines between 1999 and 2006. Cotarella is another seminal figure in Campania, as he pioneered Montevetrano and Terra di Lavoro - two wines that were groundbreaking when they were conceived and that continue to set a high bar for the region - as well as Feudi’s 100% luxury Merlot cuvee, Patrimo. Cotarella preferred shortish macerations. After the alcoholic fermentation was completed, the wines were racked into oak until spring, when they were moved into steel for the malolactic fermentations. The wines were then moved back into oak, where they completed their aging. Cotarella favored 100% new oak for both Serpico and Piano di Montevergine. Since 2006 Feudi has moved most of its winemaking in house and relied less on outside consultants.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2001 Serpico is another wine that appears to need more bottle age. Today it is in an in-between stage where the fruit is no longer primary but the tertiary notes aren’t fully developed either. The 2001 is a powerful Serpico with impressive tannic clout that will require further cellaring to soften. With time, hints of wild cherries, herbs, chocolate and leather emerge but only with great reluctance.Antonio Galloni | 92+ AG

The 2016 Taurasi Coste is a showstopper, leading off with a dramatic mix of crushed blueberries and black cherries complemented by sweet exotic spices and shaved cedar. It’s seamlessly silky and plush, with a bolt of jolting acidity that motivates its tart wild berry fruits. Minty herbal tones mix with dark, dark chocolate toward the close. While structured and certainly in need of cellaring, the 2016 Coste maintains a wonderfully fresh persona as black currant and tobacco notes fade. From start to finish, this is a gorgeous young Taurasi, which may even deserve a higher score over time.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

An irresistibly savory nose with hot tar, low tide and petrol, then bursts with juicy, almost spicy figs and plums. The palate turns warmer and sweeter with bright ripe red berries and citrus, bound up in sleek tannins are nonetheless powerful, polished wrought iron. The Stiléma project has always been intriguing, and this Taurasi only adds to the excitement.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEHerbal aromas of tea, dried thyme, bay leaves and touches of dried strawberries and orange rind. Medium- to full-bodied with a thread of silky fruit balanced by fresh acidity and a juicy character, but very polished and seamless. Solid and cohesive, with a long, persistent and elegant finish. Pure aglianico. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Taurasi Riserva Stilema is darkly floral, musky and intense. It slowly evolves with a savory herbal thrust and notes of fresh tobacco, giving way to crushed blackberries and nuances of spiced orange. Cool-toned and silken in feel, it displays remarkable elegance as polished red and black fruits smooth over the palate. Edgy tannins mix with a tinge of tart citrus. The 2018 finishes long and structured, leaving a pleasantly bitter sensation as an air of rosemary and mint slowly fades.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe Mastroberardino 2018 Taurasi Riserva Stiléma (with 3,000 bottles made) shows a dark personality with tarry spice, hydrocarbons and resin. You get dried fruit aromas, blackcurrant and cherry, but spice and grilled herb are what you notice first. You’ll also recognize volcanic smoke and mineral. This is a mid-weight red made with Aglianico, and it ends with pretty freshness. Production is 3,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPRich with flavors of steeped cherry and black raspberry fruit, licorice, espresso and medicinal herbs, a fleshy cloak wrapping around a core of fine, dense tannins. This is well-integrated and harmonious overall, with fresh acidity defining the tarry, well-spiced finish. Drink now through 2040. 250 cases made, 62 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Super balance to this intense red with exquisite spice to the mixed berries on the nose, following through to a full body with fine, well-integrated tannins, succulent fruit and a long, elegant and flavorful finish. All in place and lovely to drink now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JS

An earthy blend of crushed blackberries, violets, chalk dust and wet stone smolders up from the 2020 Aglianico del Vulture Arberesko. It’s sleek and spry, with racy acidity guiding its mineral-tinged red and black fruits. Grippy tannins mount toward the close, yet the Arberesko maintains a wonderfully fresh persona, leaving savory herbal tones and sour citrus to linger.Vinous Media | 93 VM