Russo Taurasi

Campania

About the Winery

Since 1800 Russo's family has been holding a small piece of land in the Taurasi area called "la Carazita". In 1999 Ermanno Russo decided to make his dream to come true and started to re-plant the grape in the place were he was born, extending the estate and building the winery. Aglianico is the best red autochtonous grape of Irpinia and here it finds it's natural "terroir", due to the argillous and limestone soil and the perfect position, covered by sun since dawn till sunset. Russo Taurasi enters the marketplace in 2006 as family business. It's managed by Marcella Russo with the sister Cristina and her husband Claudio. The project Cantine Russo Taurasi starts in 1999 from the idea of continuing the millennial wine-making tradition of Irpinia. We have a clear mission, that is a risk and a challenge at the same time: to use only autochthonous grape in purity to obtain typical and unique wines with a strong personality that represent the identity of Irpinia.

Campania

The region has strong historical links to wine and vine, dating back to the 12th Century BC, and is one of Italy's very oldest wine regions. The considerable influence of ancient empires, including the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, means some of this area's varieties have historical legends attached. The area is also famous for producing Falerno (Falernum), one of the most ancient wines in Italy.

Despite being ensconced in tradition, today's wine styles can range from fruit forward and youthful to robust and well-structured. The whites are known for their aromatic characters, often redolent of the local flora. The reds (mainly from Aglianico) have big personalities which require a little aging.

Dynamic and innovative methods have helped improve the quality of Campania's wines, specifically through better vineyard management, harvesting methods and cellar techniques.

A particularly notable name in the world of Campania wine is Antonio Mastroberardino. His pioneering combination of tradition and innovation make him the most respected, experienced and knowledgeable winemaker of the area.

The region is home to a quartet of DOCGs; Aglianico del Taburno, and Taurasi for red wines, plus Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo for whites. There are also 15 DOCs and ten IGPs, including the region-wide designation. source: wine-searcher.com

Vineyard(s)

Our vinery of " La Carazita" is about 7 hectares and is entirely cultivated with Aglianico red grape with a yield of 60q per hectare. We use this grapes for Aglianico and Taurasi. White grapes used for Greco, Fiano e Falanghina come from sites with high vocation to the production of each variety to have high quality grapes all the time. Our philosophy is to apply a minimal treatment of grapes and wine and a not invasive use of woods to get a a wine that is what the vineyard has produced. We are on the market since 2004 and today we produce six wines all produced with autochthonous grapes in purity. The winery has an extension of about 800 sqm, it stands in the middle of the vineyard on "La Carazita" hill. The building was made in 2003 and extended in 2006. The whole structure was built with quality in mind, from resin floor to the equipment and ISO standard stainless steel tanks.

Ratings & Reviews

Title	Item	Vintage	Score	Review
Russo Taurasi	Fiano di Avellino 'Donnaceleste'	2022	90	Bright, medium deep yellow; aromas of lemon oil, mint and magnolias. Medium-bodied, this is attractively styled, and offers very good acidity, a medium-long finish and very good varietal character. Elegant and tasty, enjoy over the next 2-3 years.
Russo Taurasi	Fiano di Avellino 'Donnaceleste'	2022	92	Lean, racy, tart and bone dry with notes of lemon pith, apricot, kiwi, chalk and white flowers.
Russo Taurasi	Greco di Tufo 'Grele'	2022	VG	Bright, delicate yellow; faint aromas of lemon juice and yellow flowers. Mediumbodied, this is clean and well-rounded, but it lacks complexity and much in the way of varietal character, so it needs to be consumed over the next 12-18 months.
Russo Taurasi	Irpinia Aglianico 'Macri'	2018	89	100% Aglianico. Bright, medium deep purple; aromas of black cherry, mocha and hints of oregano and dill. Medium-bodied with good ripeness, very good acidity, mediumweight tannins and a clean finish that comes up a bit short. Nicely styled with good typicity. Enjoy over the next 3-4 years.