MCF Rare Wine
New Releases from My Favorite (and IMO, the most important) Winemaker in Italy
Yes, that's right, I believe Luigi Tecce is the most important winemaker in Italy (and perhaps the world) right now.
Those of you who've been on the list for a few years aren't surprised, but if you have only been reading these for the last year or so, you might just now be lowering your eyebrows.
Saying this is in no way meant to demean other important winemakers, or challenge the legends of each region, but I honestly cannot think of any other producer that comes even close to making wines that are this authentic, this uncompromising, this 'of the place', with this quality, and longevity and are this underappreciated...that are sitting right there, ready to be launched into the stratosphere of demand upon discovery by the larger wine-consuming populace.
How's that for a thought...
Here's what I mean - Taurasi is arguably the greatest appellation in Italy (is it the 'Barolo of the South' or is Barolo the 'Taurasi of the North'?). The wine growing there is among the oldest in history, the vineyard sites are incredible, the soils are as unique and rich as anywhere on earth and Aglianico is as noble a grape as is cultivated.
I know, I know...but if you can stop rolling your eyes for a minute, I'll answer your question of 'If it's so great, then why doesn't anyone talk about it as much as these other wines?'
The answer is context...there's so little context for what kind of greatness Taurasi can achieve. The only older bottles floating around the market in any kind of regularity are from Mastroberardino, good examples of which are amazing! The problem, though, is that the supply is drying up by the day and so few people get introduced to them.
Yes there are other fantastic producers, but nothing old of theirs (certainly not from the '60s or '70s) is hanging around to show what they become if you give them enough time.
And that's the key to understanding the greatness of Aglianico, and Taurasi specifically...
...time...
Since Tecce only began bottling his own wines in the late '90s, there isn't much to go on.
But anyone who heeds my advice today is going to look like a genius decades down the road whenever anyone sees your stash of Tecce and says 'Man, I wish I knew enough to buy those back in the day...when you could actually get them...'
The other obstacle these wines face is the fact that properly expressed Aglianico from Taurasi is endowed with such tannin, that a wine like this can be hard to wrap your head around. And, while the Irpinia Satyricon (Tecce's young vine bottling) is certainly a bit friendlier in its youth, it's also a wine that will see its 20th birthday with ease.
Each time I taste a Tecce, the first whiff instantly centers me into some kind of metaphysical place...the dark fruits, and deep, rustic, savory, volcanic personality are as direct and sincere an expression of the place as I imagine is possible, and it instantly transports me there.
For me, these are downright emotional wines, I might even say spiritual, and they pulsate with the pure, unadulterated soul of Campania, of Naples.
And they haven't even begun to show their hands in the slightest.
More so than any wines that I have in my little private stash, it's my Tecce Taurasi (not my Barolos, not my Burgundies, not my whatever else) that I look most forward to drinking on maturity.
I'm just going to have to wait a while...quite a while...
Here's your chance to peacefully stroll down this righteous path before the bandwagon rolls through and busts it wide open.
I'm not trying to be 'right', I'm just trying to make sure you don't miss out...
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street
New York 10011
mcf@mcf-rarewine.com
212.255.8870
www.mcf-rarewine.com
