The 1996 Taurasi Fatica Contadina is not an easy wine to appreciate. Like so many 1996s from Campania it is a somewhat compact, focused offering. Still, I am drawn in by the wine’s floral bouquet, persistence and vibrant red fruit. The 1996 remains elegant and polished throughout even if it is likely to remain a rather lean, pointed Taurasi. Today, the 1996 comes across as still needing bottle age. In a few years the tannins should soften a touch, rendering the wine a bit more accessible. A melange of minerals, flowers and red cherries add the final layers of complexity on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.
Terredora is a relatively new property that was created through the split of the Mastroberardino family in 1994. As part of the division, Terredora kept the family’s vineyards but gave up the ability to use the Mastroberardino name. Terredora releases three Taurasis. The Fatica Contadina is made from a variety of vineyards. It sees 14-20 days of contact on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in steel. The Fatica Contadina spends close to two years in French oak barrels, of which roughly 50% are new. A small portion of the wine (about 10%) is aged in 35-hectoliter casks. In recent vintages the oak seems to be better integrated than was the case in the past. The single-vineyard Taurasi Campore is made from an old parcel in Lapio that was previously used for Mastroberardino’s Taurasi Radici. The estate’s newest Taurasi, Pago dei Fusi, is from a younger vineyard planted in 1996. Terredora remains a relatively recent success story. The wines from the 1990s are uneven and at times excessively oaky. The first truly important wine is the 2001 Fatica Contadina, while the 2004s represent a new level of elegance and finesse across all three Taurasis.
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