Taurasi Rising - Cantine Lonardo

Last week I had a superb bottle of Mastroberardino’s 1985 Taurasi, which was a poignant reminder of just how gorgeous these wines can be. That bottle brought back memories of the Mastroberardino vertical I did back to 1928 a few years ago, a tasting that remains vividly etched in my mind, even today. I had a badly sprained ankle, and had to travel down to Baltimore the following day for a meeting with my colleagues, but none of that mattered at all. The wines were transcendental.

Ian D’Agata is our man on the ground in Campania now, but I recently saw an offer on a Lonardo Taurasi that floored me when I tasted it a few months ago, so I thought I would share these notes. Needless to say, if you can find the wines – especially the vineyard designates – don’t hesitate. There are only a handful of wines in the world that are so deeply evocative of a grape, a place and a vintage. Readers will find all of that - and so much more - here.