When I was at Vinitaly Special Edition, I stopped by the stand of Terredora Di Paolo, a winery form Irpinia in Campania. Thanks to the invitation of one of the winery owners, Paolo Mastroberardino, a few years ago, I had the privilege of visiting the winery on the occasion of one one of the pomeriggi in cantina, an in-depth seminar focused on the characteristics of the region and the producer. During the event, I tasted of a selection of wines that are no longer on the market.
I tasted Terredora’s wines many other times over the years, in Rome and at Vinitaly. So I did not hesitate for a minute to stop by to greet to the producer and taste the latest vintages of their wines with Giulia, Paolo’s daughter. Among the wines I tasted, the one I am going to describe is the Taurasi CampoRe Riserva 2009, a wine thatis produced only in the most favourable vintages.
The Terredora Di Paolo winery, accounts for about 200 hectares, and it is located among the Irpinian hills surrounding the Sabato and Calore Valleys. The vineyards stretch along the municipalities of Santa Paolina, Montefusco, Montemiletto, Montefalcione, Lapio. This area is in the heart of the production areas of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi. The winery is located in Serra di Montefusco in the middle of the estate.
The vineyards are planted in the most suitable areas for the production of quality wines, in an area characterised by the continental climate. The clay-limestone soil is of volcanic origin and the steep slopes, are a determining factor in the quality of the final product. The aspect of the slopes favors the best sun exposure that allows the perfect ripening of the grapes. In addition, good air circulation reduces the humidity, preventing the formation of mould. Rain is not so frequent but well distributed throughout the year and the slopes do not allow the waterlogging, so that a bit of drought stress contributes to the develop of polyphenols on the grape’s skin. The large diurnal range and the high continentality ensure the best aromas develop a characteristic that is found in the glass.
Located in the municipality of Lapio, the Campore Estate is one of the most suitable production areas, both for Fiano and Aglianico. The grapes for the production of the “reserve” of CampoRe come from the vineyard that covers about 33 hectares, with a density of over 3,500 vines per hectar trained with the guyot system. The 2009 harvest for Aglianico grapes was very late, it took places between the end of October and the beginning of November. After being carefully selected, the grapes were subjected to maceration at controlled temperature at 28° C for about two weeks. Taurasi CampoRe 2009 is matured in medium toasted French oak barriques for 48 months and then for a further 6 years in the bottle.
Now, let us move on to the tasting.
Taurasi CampoRe Riserva 2009
The wine is a deep ruby colour with garnet reflections. On the nose the wine offers a wide and articulated bouquet. It has a pronounced aroma intensity of fruity hints of plum and berries, barry jam, violet, black pepper, tobacco, leather and liquorice. On the palate, it has a dynamic and balanced flavour, with alcohol and softness of the wine being matched with excellent tannins and a high freshness. It is a full bodied wine, with a long mineral finish with balsamic finish.
It is an exciting Taurasi, young in spite of its age of twelve years, destined to evolve and change again in the bottle. It has to be tasted again many times in the coming years.
