Perillo Taurasi Riserva 2011

Michele Perillo started making wine only in 1999 but has steadily garnered recognition as one of the emerging “garagistes” winemakers in Italy. His 4 hectares of vineyards are located in the Calstelfranci hills in the province of Avellino, the most revered of Taurasi’s DOCG subzones. The vines are planted as high as 600 meters above sea level and benefit from extreme temperature swings between day and night which allows the grapes to ripen slowly and steadily thus safeguarding perfumes and acidity even in the torrid weather of the south. Harvest usually takes place in late November. Perillo can count on very old vines, 60 to 70 years old, that resisted philloxera thanks to the volcanic soil, a natural deterrent of the louse. Perillo’s Aglianico clones produce grape clusters called “spargolo” endowed with a limited number of grapes of particularly small size, which naturally limit the yeld to as low as 30 quintals per hectare. Very extracted, but balanced by a lively minerality, Perillo’s wines are powerful, structured and have a wild personality that demands patience as they reward a few years in the bottle before drinking.

Appellation: Taurasi DOCG Varietal: 100% Aglianico Winemaking: Harvested by hand in early November. Yield x hectare: 30 HL. Stainless steel fermentation, 14 months in large oak barrels and French barriques not new. Bottled without filtration. Cases produced: 834 (very limited!)