MCF Rare Wine Ltd.
 

 
Revisit: 2009 Mastroberardino Radici Riserva

This past Friday evening, Chris and I decided to pop a bottle of the 2009 Taurasi Radici Riserva from Mastroberardino, just to check in on it.

After all, it had been a long week, so I thought it would be a nice way to close up the shop.

When I first yanked the cork, there was an initial whiff of oak which quickly blew off.  The first glass, as often happens with this wine, seemed a little juicy for such a serious Aglianico, but within 2-3 minutes in the glass, the stiffening began.

It went from friendly to serious quite quickly and by the second pour, it was fully recognizable as the noble wine that it is.

Actually, I found myself thinking that it was the most seriously structured rendition of a young Radici Riserva that I can recall in a long time.  

I took the bottle home with me and enjoyed a glass with some Shepherd's Pie and it became pretty clear that this was probably the sternest, most ageworthy wine they've produced since the profound 2001 Riserva...maybe even more so.

The next day, me and the kids headed up to stay with our friend's at their home in the Catskills.

I had all the ingredients to make my most famous winter dish -- pacchieri with a ragu of braised lamb.

I also had the half-full bottle of Radici...

By the time we sat down to dinner, just about 24 hours after it was opened, it was showing unbelievably well.

It had opened up considerably, showing glimpses of the full brilliance to come.

The pairing of the stern, deep, rustic wine with the savory, pungent, fatty ragu was simply perfect.

I knew that not writing a newsletter imploring all of you to either buy some or buy more would, as a wine merchant, basically be irresponsible.

So if you don't have any, get some.

If you have some, you need to get more.

And then bury it in your cellar for a decade at minimum.


Matt Franco

MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
237 West 13th Street
New York 10011
mcf@mcf-rarewine.com
212.255.8870
www.mcf-rarewine.com