Barolo of the South! Taurasi’s Most Allocated Wines, Rarest Collectable Case and Old Mastroberardino

Taurasi "Puro Sangue" 2018 - Luigi Tecce

There’s something almost mythic about Luigi Tecce, one of Italy’s most revered cult winemakers, known for his deep-rooted respect for tradition, expressive winemaking, and poetic approach to Aglianico. Based in Paternopoli in the Taurasi DOCG of Campania, Tecce has been working with old vines (many over 80 years old), high altitudes, and volcanic soils, he eschews chemical interventions entirely. His wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, undergo long macerations, and are aged slowly in large old oak barrels without filtration or clarification. The result is a profoundly soulful expression of terroir.

The 2018 Taurasi Riserva "Puro Sangue" is one of those wines that doesn’t just fill a glass—it fills a room: a bold, complex, and hauntingly elegant red made from pure Aglianico.

The name means “pure blood,” and the wine lives up to it—rich with dark fruit, spices, and earthy depth. Aged for nearly four years (including 24 months in bottle), the 2018 vintage shows power and grace in equal measure: full-bodied, structured, and capable of aging for decades. It’s wild and brooding, black fruit and incense, leather and volcanic ash, but somehow still tender. Like all of Luigi’s wines, it’s unfiltered, untouched by modernity, and aged with the patience of a man who has nothing to prove. “Puro Sangue” means pure blood, and that’s exactly what this is—blood of the land, blood of the winemaker, blood memory. It’s not a wine anyone can have but if you gets the chance and understand it—if you feel it—it will stay with you forever.

With limited production and growing global acclaim, Tecce has achieved cult status among collectors and natural wine lovers alike. Only a mere 60 bottles are available today and will be sold out quickly. Don’t miss this opportunity!

2018 Luigi Tecce Taurasi Riserva “Puro Sangue”

Special Price: $109.99

Wines are on US soil and will be ready to start shipping late next week

Taurasi “O Pilota” 2020 – Ciro Picariello

Ciro Picariello, long revered for his luminous, mineral-driven white wines, makes a bold and heartfelt foray into red with “O’ Pilota”, his first Taurasi Riserva, introduced in 2019. The wine is a tribute to his father, Bruno—affectionately known as “the pilot.” And when a winemaker of Picariello’s precision and restraint turns his hand for the first time to the grand vino of his region—and names it after the man who inspired him—you know it won’t be just another Taurasi. It will be his benchmark. His legacy. A wine crafted not simply to impress, but to honor. And in doing so, it rises to become one of the most elegant and soulful expressions of Taurasi in recent memory.

The 2020 release builds on this legacy with exceptional grace. Crafted from approximately 30-year-old Aglianico vines in Venticano—nestled along the Calore Valley at 400 meters elevation, where claycalcareous soils meet temperate altitude—the wine reflects a terroir of clarity and poise.

Harvested at optimal phenolic ripeness, the grapes undergo meticulous sorting both before and after de-stemming. A 20-day fermentation at 28–30 °C precedes a disciplined maturation: 12 months in stainless steel, followed by 12 months in 15hectoliter French oak barrels.

On the palate, the wine announces itself with a pristine, fragrant black fruit profile that speaks of restraint and balance. As it gently opens, mineral nuances emerge, enriching the aromatic tapestry. The structure is compelling—substantial, yet never heavy—thanks to a harmonious marriage of fruit density and softly integrated wood. The tannins are serious but refined, offering both immediacy and promise of graceful evolution.

Though already compelling in its youth, the 2020 “O’ Pilota” suggests considerable aging potential. Its polished execution—marked by elegance, discipline, and clarity—positions it among the most tasteful expressions of Taurasi to emerge recently.

2020 Ciro Picariello Taurasi “O Pilota”

Special Price: $47.99

Wines are on US soil and will be ready to start shipping late next week

Mastroberardino: The Royal Standard-Bearer of Southern Italian Wine

In the annals of Italian wine history, Mastroberardino stands as a foundational pillar—not just of Campanian viticulture, but of Southern Italy’s vinous identity itself. Established formally in the mid-19th century but with roots in winemaking going back to at least the 1700s, the Mastroberardino family has long been a guardian of tradition, terroir, and time. In fact, by the early 20th century, their wines were already held in such high esteem that they were officially supplied to the royal court of the King of Naples, a testament to both their prestige and enduring quality.

While the winery has contributed to the preservation of many native grapes of Campania, its legacy rests most firmly on the shoulders of one: Aglianico, the noble red variety of Irpinia. And it is through Taurasi, Campania’s great red wine, that Mastroberardino carved its name into oenological legend.

At a time when Southern Italy was still largely dismissed as a producer of bulk or rustic wine, Mastroberardino had the vision—and the patience—to treat Aglianico with the same seriousness afforded to Nebbiolo or Sangiovese in the north. They identified the best high-altitude vineyards around Montemarano and Mirabella Eclano, sites with poor volcanic soils and cool climates that allowed for long ripening seasons and profound aromatic development. In 1928, they first bottled Radici Taurasi, and with the 1968 vintage—the first to bear the Taurasi DOC—they solidified their status as the appellation’s benchmark.

But it is the Radici Taurasi Riserva—introduced in 1986—that best showcases the house’s philosophy. The Riserva is sourced from the oldest vines in the family’s Montemarano estate, planted on steep slopes between 550–650 meters above sea level. These are rugged, uncompromising terroirs that yield low quantities of grapes but immense concentration and depth. The wine is aged for at least 30–36 months, often longer, partly in large Slavonian oak, partly in French barriques, followed by extended bottle aging.

The result is a wine of extraordinary structure, longevity, and restraint. In its youth, it often appears stern—tannic, brooding, dark-fruited, with smoky, ferrous undertones. But with time—decades, even—it unfolds slowly, revealing violets, leather, dried herbs, and volcanic minerality in an orchestration that feels almost symphonic.

The labels may look almost monastic, the wines decidedly unfashionable in their lack of polish or modernist flair—but therein lies their greatness. These are wines built not for tasting rooms or social media, but for cellars and decades, for moments of reflection and slow unfolding.

We have but a few bottles of each available for today’s offer as these are as rare as any wines we’ve offered in the past. Treat yourself and delight your wine friends as they might “have it all” but they most likely won’t have this and will be left speechless.

2010 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Special Price $79.99

2012 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Special Price $79.99

1998 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva Special Price $219.99

2006 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva Special Price $219.99

2007 Mastroberardino taurasi Radici Riserva Special Price $219.99

2009 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva Special Price $169.99

2011 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva Special Price $129.99

2011 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva Magnum 1.5L Special Price $289.99

Wines are in our Temperature Controlled Cellar ready for collection

Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva Radici 1997–1998–2006 Mixed 6-Pack

A Rare Vertical Offering from the Icon of Southern Italy

This is an exceptionally rare and collectible offering: a mixed six-pack of Mastroberardino’s Radici Taurasi Riserva from three of the most historic vintages of the late 20th and early 21st centuries—1997, 1998, and 2006—with two bottles of each vintage, perfectly stored and ready for cellaring or immediate enjoyment.

What makes this parcel truly remarkable is that no other retailer in the world that we know of is currently offering this curated vertical selection—not in Europe, not in the U.S., and not even directly from the estate. It is, simply put, a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collectors who understand the legacy and longevity of Mastroberardino's wines.

These are benchmark vintages of a wine that defines the potential of Southern Italy’s noblest red grape, Aglianico, and the enduring greatness of Taurasi. Radici Riserva is sourced from the oldest vineyards in Montemarano, aged for years in large Slavonian oak and bottle before release, and has become legendary for its ability to age gracefully for 30–40 years or more.

• 1997: A powerful, structured vintage now reaching full maturity, showing dried cherry, tobacco, and ash with astonishing clarity.
• 1998: An elegant, slightly cooler vintage that has evolved into one of the most aromatically complex wines in the Radici canon.
• 2006: A standout modern vintage with incredible depth and energy, built for long-term cellaring but already showing flashes of brilliance.

Together, these wines offer a rare chance to experience the arc of Taurasi’s evolution over a decade, from the last great vintages of the 1990s into the modern era. For serious collectors, verticals like this are virtually never seen on the market—and certainly not in this condition, with provenance assured.

Whether you intend to lay this down for future decades or open them over a series of special occasions, this is an unmissable collector’s piece: a tribute to one of Italy’s greatest family estates, and a living history of Taurasi in the glass.

Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva Radici 1997–1998–2006 Mixed 6-Pack

Special Price $1,399.99

Case is in our Temperature Controlled Cellar ready for collection Mastroberardino Vintage Collection

Guastaferro: The Quiet Giant of Taurasi

In a region known for volcanic soils and wines of extraordinary structure, the Guastaferro estate stands out as a quiet but monumental force in Taurasi. Based in Taurasi proper, this family-run estate has become something of a cult name among serious Aglianico lovers—unassuming in scale, but unmatched in vineyard pedigree. The Guastaferro family owns parcels of pre-phylloxera, ungrafted Aglianico vines, some over 150–200 years old, located on the high-altitude volcanic slopes of Piano d’Angelo, one of the most historic and prestigious crus of the Taurasi appellation.

These ancient vines yield low quantities of intensely concentrated fruit, and the estate's winemaking approach is resolutely traditional: long macerations, minimal intervention, and extended aging in large oak. The result is a style of Taurasi that channels both power and poise—a deep, elemental expression of Aglianico rooted in soil, history, and time.

The crown jewel of the estate is the Taurasi Riserva “Primum”, produced only in exceptional vintages and in very small quantities. These wines are built for decades of aging and are considered among the most serious and age-worthy expressions of Aglianico produced today.

2006 Guastaferro ‘Primum’ Taurasi Riserva DOCG

The 2006 vintage is now widely seen as a modern classic—a structured, powerful year with perfect ripening conditions across Irpinia. Guastaferro’s Primum Riserva 2006 is a commanding wine, vinified from their oldest ungrafted vines, aged for years before release, and showing immense complexity today.

The wine opens with a deep, brooding nose of black cherries, iron, dried roses, tar, and smoke. On the palate, it’s dense and muscular, yet lifted by high-altitude freshness. The tannins are refined but still firm, supporting flavors of dark plum, leather, bitter cocoa, and wild herbs. The finish is long, earthy, and mineral-driven—classic Taurasi with volcanic soul.

Now nearly 20 years old, with perfect provenance, the 2006 ‘Primum’ is extremely scarce on the market and a benchmark for serious collectors of Italian reds.

2006 Guastaferro ‘Primum’ Taurasi Riserva DOCG

Special Price $249.99

2011 Guastaferro ‘Primum’ Taurasi Riserva DOCG

The 2011 vintage in Campania was warmer, resulting in wines with more immediate fruit and generosity. Guastaferro’s Primum from this year is no less serious, but offers a slightly more approachable expression of Aglianico compared to the iron-fisted 2006.

Aromatically open and expressive—black cherry, spiced plum, menthol, and wild fennel—framed by a hint of tobacco and sweet earth. The palate is full but supple, with layered red and black fruit, polished tannins, and a long finish edged with minerality and dried herbs. While still built to age, the 2011 shows a riper, rounder character and is drinking beautifully now, though it will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 10–15 years.

2011 Guastaferro ‘Primum’ Taurasi Riserva DOCG

Special Price $234.99