Taurasi Riserva Radici

Floral on the nose, with fine details of anise, thyme and graphite lacing the dried cherry and raspberry fruit, olive bread and smoke-tinged mineral notes. This fresh, harmonious red gains graceful definition from supple tannins. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2035.

A concentrated, chewy red, showing savory hints of olive, briar, tarry smoke and leather entwined with sweet notes of baked black cherry and red licorice. Rich and harmonious, with a zesty underpinning of milled pepper, anise and iron that lingers on the elegant finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2045.

Delivering a beautiful, pure beam of ripe black cherry fruit, this fresh and graceful red has a lovely, minerally underpinning of tar, spices and loamy earth, with a delicate thread of dried herbs winding through its profile. Like a gymnast, this boasts power and definition in the form of a well-defined tannic frame, which is paired with grace and fluidity. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2045.

An elegant, mouthwatering red, revealing rich mulled cherry, dark chocolate and dried sage notes wrapped in firm, fine-grained tannins. Boasting a lush, juicy texture, this also offers hints of olive, eucalyptus, tar and licorice drop that linger on the finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2035.

A beautifully balanced red, showing kirsch, red licorice, lovely baked plum, ash, iron and leather notes backed by a subtle zesty drive. Offers firm and focused tannins, but with a creamy, well-knit edge. Minerally finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2030.

Medium- to full-bodied, this is lively with orange peel acidity, displaying a creamy mix of dried raspberry, stemmy herbs and tea leaves, singed orange rind, five-spice and smoke. Reveals robust tannins on the firm finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2028.

A distinctive, mature red, with baked plum, mulled cherry and a hint of chocolate accented by herbaceous pesto and sun-dried tomato notes, which work with the juicy acidity to enliven the expressive profile. Well-structured, with light, supple tannins on the ashy finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2032.

A fascinating red, with a hint of cognac on the nose winding through a mature bouquet of steeped raspberry, white truffle, candied violet, dried mint, orange rind, tar and spices. Reveals a fine frame of balsamico acidity and chalk-tinged tannins, with a dark accent of umami on the long, long finish. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2041.

Shows lovely dried mint, graphite, anise and orange rind notes accented by baked black currant, balsamico, iron and leather. This is still rich, very deep and expressive, with a pleasing sense of equilibrium and fine tannins firming the finish. Holding steady; the last time I tasted this bottling was summer 2014, and it shows very little additional development since then. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2033.

Beautifully harmonious, mouthwatering and long, with delicate, detailed tannins providing taut structure. Features crushed black cherry and baked strawberry fruit flavors that are pure and expressive, accented by hints of lavender, graphite, dried rosemary, iron and fragrant leather. -- Non-blind Mastroberardino Taurasi retrospective (December 2022). Drink now through 2031.