This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Guastaferro
Bianco Fulgeo 2019
The 2019 Fulgeo is floral and understated, as chamomile and ripe apple give way to hints of ginger and yellow flowers. It’s almost oily in texture, yet nicely balanced, with a savory display of white stone fruits and hints of melon. This tapers off mouthwatering yet long with a salty tension. The Fulgeo is made from the rare Roviello Bianco grape. This is a solid wine, but I’m hoping that more time in-bottle may reveal a deeper and more characterful expression. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Ciro Picariello
Ciro 906 Fiano di Avellino 2019
The 2019 Fiano di Avellino Ciro 906 takes its time to open in the glass, at first savory with hints of young peach and almond. Further coaxing brings a richness forward, coupled with notes of flowery undergrowth and gingery spice. It coasts across the palate with silken textures that are wonderfully contrasted by saline-mineral tones, as ripe orchard fruits settle upon the senses. The long and tension-filled finale buzzes with nervous energy, leaving hints of granny smith and zests of lemon to linger. The best is surely yet to come here; yet even today, the Ciro 906 is enjoyable on its intensity alone. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Benito Ferrara
Terra d'Uva Greco di Tufo 2019
Sweet melon, yellow flowers and hints of young mango create an alluring bouquet as the 2019 Greco di Tufo Terra d'Uva opens in the glass. This is rich, creamy and decadent in feel, balanced by bright acidity and citrus-tinged apples and pears. For all of its extroverted personality, the Terra d'Uva tapers off wonderfully fresh, leaving hints of tropical fruit to linger. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Luigi Tecce
Riserva Poliphemo Vecchie Vigne Taurasi Aglianico 2015
A spicy mix of crushed black cherries, cloves, mint leaf and smoke form a seductive display as the 2015 Taurasi Riserva Poliphemo Vecchie Vigne slowly blossoms in the glass. It’s silky and pliant upon entry, quickly gaining a more tactile feel, as tart berries laced with sour citrus and minerals saturate the senses. The sheer mass and concentration here is something behold, yet more impressive is how harmonious it remains, as vibrant acidity battles fine tannins for supremacy. The end result is a finale that’s structured yet leaves the mouth watering for more, as violet florals, cocoa and an inner animal muskiness slowly fades. In my opinion, the 2015 vintage has firmly placed Luigi Tecce on the map in Taurasi. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Casa D'Ambra
Tenuta Frassitelli Ischia Biancolella 2020
Sweetly scented and delicately perfumed, the 2020 Biancolella Tenuta Frassitelli opens in the glass to reveal baked apples and pears complemented by white flowers, a dusting of sweet spice, lemon zests and hints of vanilla bean. It’s rich and weighty upon entry, yet it is quickly lifted by cooling herbal tones, as orchard fruits wash across the palate, leaving a mineral tinge behind. This resonates on pretty inner florals and a flourish of green citrus, tapering off lightly structured and classically dry. I followed the 2020 Biancolella Tenuta Frassitelli for three days, watching it slowly evolve. Remarkably, the last glass was certainly the best. Bury this in your cellar to watch it fully come to life over time. 93+ (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Cenatiempo
Ischia Biancolella 2019
The 2019 Biancolella blends baked apples with raw honey, almond paste and lifting yellow florals. This is salty and savory to the core, but with a stunning mix of sour grapefruit, melon and gorgeous floral perfumes that fill the senses, as its textures flesh out across the palate with near-velvety weight. It leaves you aching for another sip and completely refreshed, as a slightly bitter note of spicy citrus lingers on. This is an excellent expression of Biancolella. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Luigi Tecce
Riserva Puro Sangue Taurasi Aglianico 2015
The 2015 Taurasi Riserva Puro Sangue bursts from the glass with masses of crushed stone, ashen earth, citrus-tinged blackberries and animal musk. There are depths of silky textures nicely contrasted by vibrant acidity, as ripe plums, minerals, hints of tangerine and inner herbal tones resonate throughout. Its structure comes forward through the finale, yet there’s so much primary concentration and mouth-watering tension that it hardly slows the momentum, as notes of tobacco, cocoa and inner rose tones seem to last for nearly a minute. Luigi Tecce knocked it out of the park with the 2015 Puro Sangue. Readers are going to find it hard to wait long enough to watch these fully mature; but trust me, it will be worth waiting for.(Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Casa D'Ambra
Ischia Bianco 2020
The 2020 Bianco, an equal-parts blend of Biancolella and Forastera, opens slowly in the glass, as crushed stone gives way to a flinty mix of dusty dried flowers, incense and pear nectar. It fills the palate with rich, glycerol-like textures, as notes of candied lime and ripe apple give way to honeyed inner florals. Residual acids keep the experience lively and fresh through the finale, as hints of tropical citrus and minerals linger. I’m craving a little more energy on the palate; however, this is a gorgeous, if slightly decadent, Ischia Bianco. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Ciro Picariello
Fiano di Avellino 2019
There’s a sweet, almondy richness that grabs your attention as the 2019 Fiano di Avellino opens in the glass. Honeyed florals and ripe apples join the fray with coaxing. This is silky in texture and soothing with its unexpectedly opulent notes of ripe apples and pears. That said, the 2018 never steps out of line, as a firm spine of acidity keeps the experience motivated with an impression of refinement. It tapers off fresh to hints of ginger and melon. In 2019, the Fiano of Ciro Picariello punches well above its weight class. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago
Delectable Wine
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Sweet honeydew melon, peach preserves and hints of vanilla custard create a seductive display as the 2019 Greco di Tufo Loggia della Serra unfolds in the glass. There are depths of silky textures here, at times almost glycerol-like in feel, yet balanced throughout, as saline-minerals accentuate its ripe orchard fruits. Inner florals and hints of tropical citrus linger long, as the 2019 tapers off refreshing and poised. (Eric Guido, Vinous, January 2022)
— 3 years ago