Terra di Lavoro 2012 75cl

From a ten hectare vineyard, the 2012 Roccamonfina Terra di Lavoro touches on many of the glory points that made this such an important cult wine for Campania. Although 2012 was a hot vintage, this wine shows an impressive sense of balance and elegance. This is especially apparent on the nose where it delivers blasts of dark fruit, balsam herb, tar, licorice and volcanic ash with meticulous precision. The fruit is layered, soft and ripe. In fact, the mouthfeel is the wine's best asset. Its fine tannins offer enormous structure, but they are soft and yielding at the same time. This is an open and honest expression of Aglianico (80%) and Piedirosso that has only just begun its long evolution. <br/><br/>Terra di Lavoro is a wine that helped to put Campania on the enological fast track it enjoys today. This was Campania's first great cult wine since its first year of production in 1994. It has since become a banner for the region. Thanks to this wine and his other projects, consulting winemaker Riccardo Cotarella is an important presence in the region and has done much to cement a style of winemaking that is heavily associated with Campania. Owners Arturo and Dora Celentano tell me that Riccardo helped them set the blend twenty years ago in order to prioritize indigenous grapes (at a time when international grapes were in high fashion). They also wanted to highlight the unique traits of their volcanic soils. Over the years, Campania's wines have changed and evolved. But, Terra di Lavoro has remained true to it origins. This blend of 80% Aglianico and 20% Piedirosso has seen a few problematic vintages over the course of time. The 2009 vintage tasted here shows some distant Band Aid like notes. Yet, the 2001 that I also revisited is absolutely breathtaking.<br/>

Rich and expressive, with sappy black cherry and currant fruit, a tarry, mineral-tinged underpinning and accents of black licorice drop, wild herb, graphite and mocha, all wrapped around fine-grained tannins. Elegant and supple overall, with a long, aromatic finish. Aglianico. Drink now through 2025. 5,000 cases made.