Last October we went through a small number of Mastroberardino’s special bottling, Villa dei Misteri at a local wine bar / restaurant. This is a special project started by the archaeological superintendence of Pompeii in 1996 to recreate a wine reminiscent of what they could’ve possibly made in Pompeii, before the village was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius. Mastroberardino was selected to be the winery responsible for the project, and after archaeological investigations and botanical studies, local grape varieties that possibly could’ve been farmed back then were selected and the historical vineyards within Pompeii were replanted with the historical techniques employed by the ancient Romans.
Originally the vineyards were planted with Piedirosso (about 9/10 of the vineyard area) and Sciascinoso (about 1/10). Curiously though, when Mastroberardino decided to increase the vineyard area in the mid-to-late 00’s, they decided on going with the local favorite Aglianico instead of these Piedirosso or Sciascinoso, which were considered to be more appropriate for this historical wine, so from vintage 2011 onward Villa dei Misteri is about an equal blend of Aglianico and Piedirosso with a tiny addition of Sciascinoso. From a winemaker’s perspective the wine isn’t that true to the ancient Roman winemaking, as the wine is aged for 12 months in oak barriques and about four years in bottles. Where are all the amphorae?! ![[dontknow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/2/259bbc27e64baab255bbf586025626180d3e97e8.gif "dontknow"){kind=small}
What surprised me, though, was how surprisingly evolved all these wines were. I’ve had numerous Mastroberardino wines and normally they can go just fine for decades. However, from these 10-15 yo wines most were very mature and tertiary, some even going downhill! Knowing the restaurant, I doubt they had kept these bottles in non-optimal conditions, so either these bottles were sourced from an unreliable source, or then these wines just don’t have the longevity of Mastroberardino’s Taurasi labels. It was very educational to taste these wines, as now I know I don’t need to spend hundreds of $s on these, when you can get nice bottles of Taurasi for $30-40!
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2018 Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru (5.10.2021)
100% organically farmed Chardonnay from a parcel approximately 50 years old. Aged in 228-liter oak pièces (20% new, 80% once, twice or three times used). 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Quite youthful yellow-green color. Ripe nose of zesty citrus fruits, some mirabelle plums, light notes of hay and dried herbs, a little bit of nutty almond character, a primary hint of juicy pear and a touch of creamy oak. The wine is juicy, ripe and moderately full-bodied on the palate with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of mirabelle plums and almond-driven nuttiness, some sweet creamy oak tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light primary notes of juicy pear, a hint of sweet Golden Delicious apple and a touch of hay. The overall feel is quite round but still pretty balanced, thanks to the medium-to-moderately high acidity. The finish is fresh but quite fruity and sweet-toned with medium-long flavors of ripe red apple, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of almond, light stony mineral notes and a hint of sweet oak spice.
A very ripe, fruity and somewhat atypical Meursault - I honestly guessed this was either a Soave Classico or a Verdicchio from Marche. The mirabelle-driven fruit notes and nuances of hay and almond were something I haven’t seen much in Chardonnay and were much closer to what I’ve seen in Italian whites, which is why I didn’t think of Burgundy at all. The other was that ripe, fruit-forward nature of the wine and relatively modest acidity for a Côte de Beaune white - these 2018s just don’t seem to have the cut and freshness I look for in a white Burgundy. So all in all, this is not a bad wine, but it feels more like a well-made Verdicchio or a Soave Classico that has seen some wood than a 1er Cru Meursault. If I had been waiting for a classic Meursault, I’d be a little bit disappointed. (89 pts.)
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2007 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
A blend of Piedirosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%) from four different vineyards in Pompeii (Casa del Triclinio Estivo, Casa della Nave Europa, Foro Boario, Osteria del Gladiatore) totaling to only one hectare. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color with a relatively youthful ruby hue. Powerful, savory and noticeably tertiary nose with aromas of soy sauce and meat stew, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of smoke, light sweet notes of wizened cherries, a hint of old leather and a touch of dried dates. The wine feels dry, evolved and somewhat oxidative on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of meaty umami, crunchy crowberries, some wizened sour cherries, light oxidative notes of soy sauce and leather, a little bit of ferrous blood and a hint of tangy salinity. Although the fruit department is getting a bit flat, the wine still retains its impressive structure, thanks to its pronounced acidity and still rather assertive and grippy tannins. The finish is dry, savory and quite grippy with rather long flavors of crunchy cranberries and crowberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light oxidative notes of soy sauce, a little bit of old leather and a sweeter hint of raisiny fruit.
A very evolved vintage of Villa dei Misteri that is either on its plateau of maturity or then just slightly past it. I was surprised how evolved the wine was, seeing how relatively youthful its appearance was. Nevertheless, this was less tertiary than the vintage 2008 that was already a bit further downhill. Either the provenance of these wines has not been up to par, or then Villa dei Misteri just isn’t as long-lived a wine as Mastroberardino’s Taurasis. No need to age these any further - time to drink up. (89 pts.)
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2008 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
A blend of Piedirosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%) from four different vineyards in Pompeii (Casa del Triclinio Estivo, Casa della Nave Europa, Foro Boario, Osteria del Gladiatore) totaling to only one hectare. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color with a moderately evolved russet hue. Dry, restrained and somewhat oxidative nose with quite tertiary aromas of prunes, some wizened red cherries, light raisiny notes, a little bit of beef jerky and old leather, a lifted hint of sweet VA and a touch of cigar smoke. The wine is sinewy, dry and somewhat tired on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of raisins, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of old, dry and cracking leather and beef jerky, light earthy notes, a sweeter hint of dark syrupy richness and a touch of burnt sugar bitterness. The overall impression is quite taut and angular, due to the high acidity and somewhat rough and rustic tannins that really don’t get balanced out by the thinning, dried-up fruit. The finish is long, very evolved and rather grippy with savory and slightly thin flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of oxidative soy sauce, light beef jerky tones, a hint of leather and at touch of smoke.
A surprisingly old and tertiary effort for a Mastroberardino clocking in at just 13 years of age. The fruit is getting already somewhat oxidative and pruney, whereas the structure has done very little if any resolution over the years, resulting in a wine that is getting somewhat flat and tired, yet retains formidable structure that really calls for food. It feels that either the provenance of this bottle has not been up to par, or then this just isn’t a wine built to age. Although 2007 vintage was also quite tertiary for its age, it still retained some youthful character, whereas this wine had ventured much deeper into the anonymous old wine territory. Hard to see this wine benefiting from any further cellaring - time to drink up. (87 pts.)
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2009 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
A blend of Piedirosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%) from four different vineyards in Pompeii (Casa del Triclinio Estivo, Casa della Nave Europa, Foro Boario, Osteria del Gladiatore) totaling to only one hectare. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Very deep, luminous and moderately opaque black cherry color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. Ripe, juicy and sweet-toned nose with vibrant aromas of wizened black cherries and ripe figs, some old leather notes, a little bit of ripe blueberry, light liqueur-ish notes of sweet VA, a hint of tobacco and a touch of savory old wood. The wine is ripe, sinewy and quite silky on the palate with a moderately full body and savory flavors of wizened sour cherries, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of raw, bloody meat, light tart notes of lingonberries, a hint of game and a piquant touch of peppery spice. The alcohol shows through a little. While silky in texture, the overall feel is firm and somewhat muscular, thanks to the high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is long and quite tannic with intense, savory flavors of crunchy cranberries, sour cherry bitterness, some earthy tones, a little bit of game, light ferrous notes of blood, a sweeter hint of dried figs and a touch of pipe tobacco.
A stern, muscular and very intense vintage of Villa dei Misteri that feels noticeably more youthful than the vintages 2007 and 2008 that were noticeably more tertiary and even slightly oxidative at this point. Flavor-wise this vintage doesn’t feel young anymore, but it isn’t fully mature yet. Most likely there is still some room for further development in the fruit department, but whatever happens, the ample and quite assertive tannins will outlive the fruit. True to the classic Campanian style of red wine, this is all about tough, grippy tannic structure and the wine really calls for food. This isn’t your pleasant sipper, and no matter how long you are going to age it, it will never be one. Good stuff now, but based on how soon the earlier vintages have started to fade away, I would drink the wine in the next 8-10 years or so, if not earlier. In our Villa dei Misteri 2007-2012 vertical, this vintage was the crowd favorite and the second best vintage in my books, after the 2010 vintage. (92 pts.)
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2010 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
A blend of Piedirosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%) from four different vineyards in Pompeii (Casa del Triclinio Estivo, Casa della Nave Europa, Foro Boario, Osteria del Gladiatore) totaling to only one hectare. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Very deep, dense and fully opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. Big, concentrated and subtly sweet-toned nose with slightly evolved aromas of wizened dark plums, some licorice, light earthy notes, a little bit of pipe tobacco, a hint of old leather and a touch of ripe black cherry. The wine feels somewhat concentrated, savory and slightly evolved on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of sour cherries, game, some tart lingonberry, a little bit of tobacco, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of licorice. The overall feel is textural and quite tightly-knit with its high acidity and powerful yet not aggressive tannins that slowly coat the gums and make the wine appear quite grippy. The finish is long, savory and somewhat evolved with intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some tobacco, a little bit of sanguine iron, light earthy notes, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of old leather. The ample tannins make the wine end on a quite grippy note.
A very impressive, concentrated and moderately evolved vintage of Villa dei Misteri that still retains some youthful fruit, but obviously isn’t young anymore. In a slightly confusing twist of events, this wine feels younger than the vintage 2011 but slightly more mature than the vintage 2009. However, compared to the stern and perhaps slightly clumsy 2009 vintage, this 2010 combines the rustic charms typical of Campanian reds to wonderful sense of finesse and poise. Even though the wine showed probably the most concentration from the wines we tasted (vintages 2007-2012), this was anything but big or heavy wine - conversely, this wine felt lighter than many more fuller-bodied vintages. Also the tannins here were ample and grippy, but at the same time very fine and well-managed, lacking the rustic aggressiveness of some vintages. In our 6-vintage vertical, this was my favorite. The wine is in a terrific spot right now, will continue to evolve for some years more and keep good for a good handful of years. However, I doubt this wine will ever be as long-lived as Mastroberardino’s Aglianico-based wines. (93 pts.)
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2011 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
Unlike the preceding vintages, this is a blend of Aglianico (40%), Piedirosso (40%) and Sciascinoso (20%). Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Quite deep and somewhat opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. Somewhat evolved, slightly restrained and quite sweet-toned nose with aromas of dried cherries, some pipe tobacco, light raisiny tones, a little bit of oxidative beef jerky, a funky hint of barnyard and a touch of kirsch or cherry pit. The wine is very firm, savory and medium-bodied on the palate with dry flavors of crunchy crowberries, astringent chokeberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of game, light sanguine notes of iron, a hint of tobacco and a touch of smoke. The moderately high acidity feels a bit lower to that found in older vintages of Villa dei Misteri, but at the same time the tannins feel even more pronounced, rustic and aggressive, making the wine feel very tough and grippy. The finish is long, dry and noticeably grippy with moderately evolved and savory flavors of tobacco, sour cherry bitterness, some earth, light sanguine meaty notes, a little bit of iron, an astringent hint of crunchy crowberries and a touch of dried dark fruits.
A very tough and grippy vintage of Villa de Misteri in which the fruit department feels quite mature and evolved, even somewhat tertiary, whereas the tannic structure feels completely unresolved, aggressive and unyielding. Overall the wine feels lacking a bit in balance: the fruit hasn’t held on that well and most likely there isn’t room for any further improvement, whereas the tannins feel like they could use another 20-30 years to resolve. Comparing to the surrounding vintages, this feels more evolved than the 2010, whereas the 2012 seems more aged in comparison. All in all, while good in its imposing, not-a-crowdpleaser-kind of way, this is not the most balanced vintage of Villa dei Misteri. (88 pts.)
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2012 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT - Italy, Campania, Pompeiano IGT (5.10.2021)
A blend of Aglianico (40%), Piedirosso (40%) and Sciascinoso (20%). Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol.
Very deep, dense and fully opaque blackish-red color with a very evolved syrupy-brown hue. The nose feels savory, very tertiary and somewhat restrained with aromas of pouch tobacco, some licorice root, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of sour cherry, volatile hints of balsamico and liqueur-ish sweetness and an oxidative touch of beef jerky. The wine is silky, textural and quite tertiary on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy cranberry, a little bit of cigar, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of smoke and a sweeter touch of dried fig. The overall feel is quite structured and sinewy, thanks to the high acidity and quite grippy medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is savory, moderately grippy and a bit tired with medium-long flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of tart cranberry, light earthy tones, a sweet hint of dried figs and a slightly oxidative touch of soy sauce.
A balanced but also surprisingly evolved vintage of Villa dei Misteri that feels quite tired and even slightly oxidative, even though the wine is only 9 years old. In our vertical, this was - along with the equally tertiary 2008 vintage - the most advanced vintage of all the six vintages, even though this was the youngest in age. Structurally, this wine was surprisingly balanced and enjoyable, the acidity and firm but not aggressive tannins being very much in harmony with the body and the fruit, but flavor-wise the wine seemed to have already passed its plateau of maturity, which is why it seemed to have already lost some intensity and started to get a bit flat and dull. Based on this bottle, I wouldn’t cellar this vintage any further. It’s a surprise how evolved all these Villa dei Misteri vintages have been, considering how Mastroberardino’s Taurasis are not even ready yet at 10 years of age and can age gracefully for decades. (86 pts.)
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1977 Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva - Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG (5.10.2021)
From a 3-liter jeroboam. Bottle #417 of total 499 jeroboams. 12% alcohol.
Aged, moderately deep maroon color with a syrupy brown core and a clear, brick-red rim. Aged, tertiary and quite sweet-toned nose with rich aromas of raisins and dried dates, some oxidative notes of soy sauce and light nutty tones, a little bit of old leather, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of syrupy richness. The wine is aged, textural and full-bodied on the palate with tertiary flavors of dried dates and syrupy richness, some dried figgy tones, a little bit of leathery funk, light cigar notes, a savory hint of meaty umami and a balsamic touch of sweet VA. Despite its age the wine is still remarkably structure-driven, thanks to its high acidity and ripe yet still noticeably unresolved and quite assertive tannins. The finish is long, powerful and tannic with intense, savory flavors of dried dates and figs, some leathery tones, a little bit of wizened sour cherry, light oxidative notes of soy sauce, tertiary hints of syrupy and balsamic VA and a touch of raisin.
A beautiful, classic old Taurasi with lots of age. The wine is fully mature or already slightly past its peak, but still brimming with bold, tertiary fruit and thus is fully enjoyable despite its advanced age. There’s no denying that the wine is very old, but even though the first signs of oxidation have started to creep in, the fruit hasn’t thinned out and there’s still enough body to keep the formidable structure well at bay. Hard to say whether the standard 0,75-liter bottles are in this good condition or past their peak, but this was fully enjoyable right now. No need to age the wine any further - time to drink up. (93 pts.)
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2004 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling Auslese “B” Blaufusser Lay - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (5.10.2021)
8,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, very slightly hazy lemon-yellow color. Sweet and somewhat odd nose with aromas of lemon marmalade, some sappy green tones, a little bit of crushed birch leaves, light rhubarb tones, a hint of apricots, a developed touch of cooked cream and a perhaps aldehydic whiff of green apple slices. The wine is sweet, light-bodied and somewhat mild on the palate with quite delicate flavors of lemon marmalade, some apple jam, a little bit of evolved nuttiness, light aldehydic notes of green apples, rich developed hints of honey and pineapple and a touch of mushroomy funk. The moderately high acidity feels rather modest for a Mosel Riesling. The medium-long aftertaste feels quite sweet and somewhat evolved with flavors of lemon marmalade, some sappy notes of birch leaves, light nutty tones, a little bit of mushroomy funk, a hint of apple jam and an evolved, creamy touch of panna cotta.
A pleasant but somewhat underwhelming Auslese Riesling with a somewhat odd, sappy green streak reminiscent of birch leaves. I was immediately in Germany with this wine, but I thought of an Auslese made from some lesser-known variety, perhaps Scheurebe, Elbling or Rieslaner. With the slightly green tones, somewhat modest acidity (for a Riesling) and its relative lack of fruit intensity, I really didn’t think of Mosel nor Riesling at all. Not particularly true to the region or the variety, nor particularly impressive an effort. I wonder if this was just an off bottle (well, we had two similar bottles) or if this was a poor vintage for Heymann-Löwensten. (85 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Eric, to my understanding they haven’t changed the winemaking style at any point, but instead the wines have been made more or less similarly to Radici Taurasi, only with different blend of grapes. James, I hear you - now that I’ve tasted these bottles, I don’t have any urgent need to re-visit this label and can stick to Mastroberardino’s more affordable yet more ageworthy wines!![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}