The 2019 Taurasi Aurelia blossoms in the glass with an attractive mix of dusty rose and exotic spice, complementing medicinal blackberry and hints of dark chocolate. It smooths over the palate in silky waves, with ripe red and black fruits underscored by saline minerals and hints of sour citrus. The 2019 finishes with a bitter twang and grippy yet maintains a lovely freshness through a bump of residual acidity. It will take some time to integrate its oak and tannins, but it will be time well spent.

Peppery gaminess up front on the nose of this wine rolls into a cake-like mixture of berries and spices. Like a mirror image of the nose, cherries, blackberries and dark chocolate pop off the palate, followed by cured meat and black pepper notes that are swept away by mouthclearing tannins.

The 2017 Taurasi Aurelia is deep and rich, with masses of black cherries, plums and tobacco complemented by cloves, cinnamon and a lifting hint of mint. This is elegant in feel, casting silky textures with ripe red and black berries across the palate, giving way to sweet and savory spices, and fine tannins that slowly saturate. There’s so much intensity and concentration here that you hardly realize just how structured and youthfully clenched the 2017 Aurelia is today, as hints of bitter dark chocolate and salted licorice slowly fade. Don’t be fooled by its decadent bouquet and vivid fruit; this sleeping giant needs cellaring to show its best.

The 2016 Taurasi Aurelia shows the more earthy and animal characteristics of Taurasi, as musky black cherry gives way to savory herbs and mineral tones, with balsamic spice and hints of sous bois. It floods the palate with silky textures, which are quickly contrasted by sour cherry, yet gaining energy and lift as vibrant acids stimulate the senses. The finish is long and structured with an acid twang, showing all the qualities of a young Taurasi that’s geared for the cellar, as its spicy red fruits slowly fade.

Deep ruby-red. The extremely perfumed nose of ripe strawberry jam and red cherry is nicely lifted by sweet Oriental wood and spices. Dense, rich and juicy, offering tarry flavors of plum, blackberry and grilled herbs, complicated by soy sauce and Szechuan pepper. Very rich and deep, with harmonious acidity nicely extending the flavors on the back end. A single-vineyard wine, made with grapes grown at 500 meters above sea level in the Campore contrada in Lapio, spending 12 months in barriques, followed by another year in used 20-hectoliter barrels, then another 24 months in bottle prior to going on sale. Clocks in at 14% alcohol, but it's so balanced that nobody will notice the high octane level. This is a truly outstanding and still very young Taurasi.

Deep ruby. Fresh aromas and flavors of plum, blackberry and herbs. Juicy acidity provides lift, clarity and cut. From the Campore contrada in Lapio (a hot site that is, in my view, quite good for Aglianico and less so for Fiano), this spends 12 months in once-used barriques and once-used 20-Hl barrels, then another 24 months in bottle prior to release.

Dense yet fresh, with juicy acidity supporting black cherry puree and cassis fruit character, rounded out by full tannins and grace notes of ash, olive paste and game. Best from 2015 through 2022. 230 cases made.