Di Meo Taurasi Riserva 2011
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
In the early 1980s, Erminia, Generoso and Roberto Di Meo acquired the historical estate from their parents Vittorio and Alessandrina, located in the province of Avellino, in the area of Salza Irpina. The estate, a beautiful 18th-century farmhouse that was once a hunting lodge of the Caracciolo Prince, is surrounded by gently rolling, breezy hillsides.
The goal of the three brothers was to produce wines from the most widespread native varieties in Irpinia, like Fiano, Greco, Aglianico and Coda di volpe, and promote the value of cultural and regional traditions. So they decided to plant vineyards and in 1986, they produced their first vintage.
While the Irpinia wine underwent a period of strong growth with the important accreditation of the DOCGs Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi and the growth of a significant quality wine sector, the oenological project of the Di Meo Brothers also evolved very quickly. Besides the production of wines in the best areas of the province, they started the production of liquors, spirits and other food Irpinian products. In a few short years the company was recognized as one of the most prestigious production companies in the region.
Today the company is run by Roberto, Oenologist, Winemaker and Sales Manager, and by Generoso, promoter of “Di Meo Vini ad Arte,” a project to enhance and spread worldwide the cultural heritage of Irpinia and Campania: after all, like wine, this is a way to celebrate the family link with the territory and offer its history to contemporary taste.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
A winemaking renaissance is underfoot in Campania as more and more small, artisan and family-run wineries redefine their style with vineyard improvements and cellar upgrades. The region boasts a cool Mediterranean climate with extreme coastal, as well as high elevation mountain terroirs. It is cooler than one might expect in Campania; the region usually sees some of the last harvest dates in Italy.
Just south of Mount Vesuvio, the volcanic and sandy soils create aromatic and fresh reds based on Piedirosso and whites, made from Coda di Volpe and Falanghina. Both reds and whites go by the name, Lacryma Christi, meaning the "tears of Christ." South of Mount Vesuvio, along the Amalfi Coast, the white varieties of Falanghina and Biancolella make fresh, flirty, mineral-driven whites, and the red Piedirosso and Sciasinoso vines, which cling to steeply terraced coastlines, make snappy and ripe red wines.
Farther inland, as hills become mountains, the limestone soil of Irpinia supports the whites Fiano di Avellino, Falanghina and Greco di Tufo as well as the most-respected red of the south, Aglianico. Here the best and most age-worthy examples come from Taurasi.
Farther north and inland near the city of Benevento, the Taburno region also produces Aglianico of note—called Aglianico del Taburno—on alluvial soils. While not boasting the same heft as Taurasi, these are also reliable components of any cellar.