2006 - Terra di Lavoro, Galardi, Roccamonfina

I am thrilled with the 2006 Terra di Lavoro, which easily lives up to the praise I bestowed upon it last year. This wasn’t an easy vintage for Galardi. The weather was uneven, and a drastic selection was necessary in the cellar. Overall production was even lower in 2006 than in 2005, but the estate’s commitment to quality paid off in a big way. The 2006 Terra di Lavoro presents an intriguing combination of compelling inner sweetness wrapped around a firm, imposing frame. This is a very Barolo-like Terra di Lavoro that gradually opens up to reveal is pedigree, with endless layers of fruit and an eternal finish. Readers who own the 2006 are fortunate, but significant patience is required. This is a majestic Terra di Lavoro. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036. Terra di Lavoro, first produced in 1994, has quickly established itself as one of Italy’s cult wines. I tasted all of these vintages with proprietors Arturo and Dora Celentano during their first visit to the US. The Celentanos have a huge passion for food and wine, and that exuberance comes through loud and clear in these fabulous wines. Terra di Lavoro is 80% Aglianico and 20% Piedirosso from vines planted by consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella beginning in 1991. The fruit is harvested according to ripeness rather than strictly by variety, which means that Aglianico and Piedirosso are sometimes picked and vinified together. After the alcoholic fermentation, the wines are racked into French oak where they remain on their lees for several months. Cotarella describes Aglianico as a hard grape to take through malolactic fermentation. He therefore believes it is essential for the final blend to be made before the wines go into malo. The final blend is assembled and undergoes what is usually a very slow malo, in steel for 80-90% of the wine, prior to being moved back into oak. There is little question that malolactic fermentation in stainless steel contributes significant freshness and aging potential to this he