Mastroberardino has done more than almost anyone to define the modern identity of Taurasi. Made from Aglianico — one of Italy’s most structured and age-worthy red grapes — this is a wine built on patience, gravity and time rather than immediate appeal.

The 2019 vintage shows that style clearly. It opens with dark cherry, blackberry and plum, but quickly moves into more serious territory: iron, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and crushed volcanic stone. There’s a darker aromatic register here compared to many southern reds, with a slight smoky edge that feels tied to its terroir.

On the palate, it’s firm and architectural. The fruit is still tightly coiled, supported by dense, chalky tannins and a line of acidity that runs straight through the wine. It doesn’t relax easily — and that’s the point. Everything is held in tension, with power expressed through structure rather than sweetness or extraction.

What stands out in 2019 is the balance between depth and control. It feels young, almost reserved, but everything is in place. This is Taurasi in its classic form: slow, serious, and built for the long arc of time.

Aglianico at full voice, but still speaking in a measured tone — with decades ahead of it.