Salvatore Molettieri, Taurasi “Vigna Cinque Querce”

I honestly can’t think of the last wine that lodged itself in my memory like this one did. There have been others in the past, and there will be others in the future, but for now, this 2013 Taurasi is the heavyweight champ of my wine-drinking life and isn’t likely to relinquish the belt anytime soon. Yes, it’s that good: incredibly powerful, hauntingly complex, and just now beginning to reveal itself after several years of bottle age.This is the kind of Taurasi that earned the region its “Barolo of the south” nickname—a wine that leaves no doubt that its featured grape variety, Aglianico, belongs right alongside Nebbiolo and Sangiovese on Italy’s native-grape mountaintop. But, given that the Taurasi DOCG is still playing catch-up to some of the vaunted red-wine appellations of the north, its price remains within reach. Stylistically, Molettieri’s “Cinque Querce” is more a Barolo-meets-Bordeaux with a few more twists besides: Depending on your experience with Aglianico and Taurasi, you