Black cherries, plums, smoke, tar, bacon, incense and grilled herbs burst from the glass in the 2008 Falerno del Massico Rosso. Firm yet beautifully integrated tannins support a deep, expressive core of fruit in this pedigreed Aglianico/Piedirosso blend. All the elements come together effortlessly in a fabulous wine that will satisfy the palate, intellect and budget. The 2008 is a stunning value from Villa Matilde. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019. Villa Matilde excels with a wide range of wines. The house style favors textural richness and depth. At times, varietal expression can take a bit of a back seat, but the wines more than compensate for that with their extraordinary personalitites. In particular, I found a number of the reds to be simply dazzling this year. Many of these wines are also great values. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

This grippy red, which has an underpinning of loamy earth and leather, and a somewhat austere range of baked cherry, espresso crème, wild herb and dried cranberry, is sleek, with muscular tannins on the finish. Aglianico and Piedirosso. Best from 2017 through 2020. 10,800 cases made.??–AN??Region: Italy / South / Falerno del Massico Select to Add