Mastroberardino Taurasi Stilèma Riserva 2018 (750ml) *
Product price
$196.99
Description
Aglianico is the backbone of southern Italy's most age-worthy reds, and in Taurasi, high in the hills of Campania, it takes on a dark, structured character all its own. This is Mastroberardino's Riserva bottling from the 2018 vintage, a wine held back and given extended time before release, with only about 3,000 bottles made. It sits in the mid-weight range for the grape, trading sheer power for detail and length.
The nose leads with spice and grilled herb, rosemary and mint threaded through tarry, resinous notes and a whiff of volcanic smoke. Underneath sit dried fruits, blackcurrant and cherry, along with crushed blackberry and a flash of spiced orange. On the palate it is cool-toned and silken, polished red and black fruit smoothing across a frame of edgy tannin and tart citrus. The finish runs long and firm, closing with a pleasantly bitter edge as those herbal aromatics slowly fade.
Expert Reviews
The 2018 Taurasi Riserva Stilema is darkly floral, musky and intense. It slowly evolves with a savory herbal thrust and notes of fresh tobacco, giving way to crushed blackberries and nuances of spiced orange. Cool-toned and silken in feel, it displays remarkable elegance as polished red and black fruits smooth over the palate. Edgy tannins mix with a tinge of tart citrus. The 2018 finishes long and structured, leaving a pleasantly bitter sensation as an air of rosemary and mint slowly fades. (Vinous)
The Mastroberardino 2018 Taurasi Riserva Stiléma (with 3,000 bottles made) shows a dark personality with tarry spice, hydrocarbons and resin. You get dried fruit aromas, blackcurrant and cherry, but spice and grilled herb are what you notice first. You'll also recognize volcanic smoke and mineral. This is a mid-weight red made with Aglianico, and it ends with pretty freshness. Production is 3,000 bottles. (Wine Advocate, October 2025)