The 2005 Falerno del Massico Rosso Camarato comes across as quite dark and inward. The tannins need time to soften, but there appears to be plenty of fruit hiding beneath the wine's structural components. Camarato is 80% Aglianico and 20% Piedirosso. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. This is a very strong set of wines from Villa Matilde, with numerous choices that deliver stunning quality and value.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2004 Falerno del Massico Camarato (Aglianico) is silky and finessed on the palate, where layers of perfumed dark fruits, violets, ash, minerals and French oak all make an appearance. Medium in body, the wine possesses superb balance capped off with a sweet, resonating finish. This is an especially refined red from Campania. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2024. Falerno had already established itself as a special place for wines 3,000 years ago during Roman times. Campania was not immune to phylloxera, however, and at the turn of the century most of the vineyards in these parts were ravaged. In the 1970s Francesco Avallone set out to reclaim the ancient clones of the region's native varieties, and over time reproduced the best of those and planted them in his vineyards. Today Villa Matilde is run by Avallone's children Maria Ida and Tani Avallone. The wines are among Campania's finest.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

Camarato is a beautiful wine and the 2004 vintage shows impressive harmony and elegance. The wine opens with aromas of chocolate, black cherry and spice. In the mouth, it shows firm, enduring tannins. Pair it with a succulent steak. ——M.L.(6/1/2011)—— 91

Villa Matilde's 2003 Camarato (80% Aglianico and 20% Piedirosso) is made in a more jammy style than the 2001. This plump red is loaded with dark fruit, chocolate, new leather and sweet spices. The toasted oak is still quite dominant here, and this wine needs at least a few years to come together. Today it doesn't look like it will be as long-lived as the 2001 but it should offer more immediate pleasure. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018. Proprietors Tani and Maria Ida Avallone run this estate located outside Naples, in the province of Caserta, where the history of viticulture spans several centuries. The mineral-rich soils yield wines of uncommon complexity and elegance. The estate works with a selection of ancient clones of the area’s indigenous varieties that were re-discovered several decades ago and subsequently re-planted throughout the vineyards. Riccardo Cotarella is the consulting oenologist. Unlike many estates in the region, Villa Matilde excels with both reds and whites. Notes on some of Villa Matilde’s value-priced wines can be found in my Best Buys from Italy article available at www.erobertparker.com. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900