Description

The 2012 Taurasi Riserva Vigna Cinque Querce is a big, dark, and smoky effort from Salvatore Molettieri. Here I m finding a massive display of crushed black cherry, offset by sour citrus, with notes of damp earth and air-dried meats. It cascades across the palate, mixing ripe dark fruits and minerals with grippy tannins, as tongue-curling acidity adds a much-needed refreshing thrust.

The structured finish goes on and on, painfully youthful, but with enough residual fruit and spice to carry its tannic clout. It will be interesting to follow the 2012 vintage through five to ten years of cellaring; at which point, it may deserve a higher score.