Michele Perillo has long shied away from the limelight, feeling more at home in the vineyard. In 1999, he decided to take a leap: instead of selling hist grapes or producing bulk wine, he began bottling. Thus began the legend of Michele's Taurasi, which is released a whole decade after harvest. Today, his sons, Felice, an enology graduate, and Nicola, an agronomist, assist him. The vineyards span the municipalities of Castelfranci and Montemarano, on the southern edge of the Taurasi Docg production zone. The Taurasi '12 proves quite captivating: hints of charcoal and burnt wood converge with a distant aroma of black plum. Tobacco notes carry the aromatic profile to a palate where, in contrast, the energy of fruit still strongly prevailshere it's velvety, almost creamy, thanks to fine, rounded tannins. The finish is still fresh, giving the overall impression of a red that that's aptly stood the test of time.
