I Favati, Taurasi “Terzotratto”

The Aglianico grape, especially as grown in the Taurasi region of Campania, is one of Italy’s most important native grapes—a “noble” variety on par with Nebbiolo (Barolo) and Sangiovese (Brunello; Chianti). Even today, however, as southern Italy’s wines continue to grow in prestige and Taurasi—long nicknamed “the Barolo of the south”—is recognized as an important terroir, it remains under-explored and (mostly) overlooked by the “fine wine” market. But as this still-evolving 2010 proves unequivocally, to ignore this place and grape is to miss out on one of the most powerful and distinctive red wine experiences out there. As the notorious tannins of the Aglianico grape soften with time, the generous fruit and remarkable earthy savor of the variety become the story—and what a complex tale it is! Taurasi is the namesake village of a relatively small cluster of hills in the Irpinia region of central Campania—about 50 kilometers east of Naples but, physically speaking, a world away. Irpinia