Galardi Terra di Lavoro – 2010 (750ml)

I hope one day to have another chance to taste a vertical of Roccamonfina Terra di Lavoro because I have a strong feeling the 2010 will occupy a place among the very finest vintages produced on this tiny vineyard on the slopes of the Roccamonfina volcano. An exotic melange of tar, smoke, graphite, blackberry jam and savory herbs explode from the glass. The 2010 is intense and full-bodied, yet also incredibly elegant. A big, breathtaking wine, the 2010 continues to build all the way through to a deeply resonant, expressive finish. I would choose to leave this uttterly beguiling Campanian red alone for the better part of a decade, but readers are going to have a very hard time excercising that patience. This is a fabulous effort from proprietors Arturo and Dora Celentano, and their long-time winemaker Riccardo Cotarella. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.
Galardi fans, of which I am one, will be delighted to learn that the estate plans to introduce a second wine beginning with the 2013 harvest, which is great news, considering the flagship Terra di Lavoro typically ages at a glacial pace.
A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620
Wine Advocate – 97+ points