Tasting Notes: Joaquin’s Taurasi “Riserva Della Società” (“Company Reserve”) is a bold, singular wine of remarkable presence and depth, only bottlesd in certain vintages. The Taurasi appellation requires a minimum of 18 months in barrel and a release date no earlier than four years after harvest; Raffaele, by contrast, ages this for at least three years in previously used oak and acacia casks, plus an additional four or more years in bottle before releasing it. “Riserva Della Società” is rife with earth-derived aromas and flavors, evoking damp woods, cool herbs, and wild fruit, and it manages to remain nimble despite its fearsome density; Raffaele certainly does us a favor by holding it for so long first. These remarkable Aglianico vines have spent between 150 and 200 years developing their root systems, and have been disrupted neither by phlloxera—these are own-rooted vines—nor by tilling.
