The 2007 Taurasi Radici boasts stunning richness, depth and power, yet remains relatively accessible and approachable for such a young Taurasi. Juicy dark cherries, cinnamon, plums, spices, incense, tobacco and a myriad of aromas and flavors saturate the palate as this big, textured wine opens up in the glass. Despite its considerable richness and plushness, the 2007 never loses its classical sense of structure. If that combination sounds appealing, believe me, it is. This is a flat-out stunner from Mastroberardino. Best of all, it will drink beautifully pretty much right out of the gate. I imagine the 2007 will be a total home run in restaurants or in other settings where young wines are opened as a matter of necessity. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032. Mastroberardino is another winery that seems to have found an extra gear or two over the last few years. The Taurasis remain the flagships, but readers should also pay close attention to the entry-level reds and the best whites in this range. All of the wines are deeply varietal, making Mastroberardino a perfect place to start learning about the great wines of Campania.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2006 Taurasi Radici hits the palate with masses of blueberries, black berries, flowers and spices. The 2006 is a big, explosive wine in need of considerable cellaring. That said, it is remarkably accessible for a young Taurasi from this historic property. Layers of fruit continue to build towards the exotic, concentrated finish. This is a marvelous wine in the making. The 2006 spent two years in a combination of casks and smaller French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2046. Mastroberardino is one of Italy's most historic properties. My vertical tasting of the estate's Taurasi (published in Issue 190), with vintages back to 1928, was a revelation.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

The 2005 Taurasi Radici has developed beautifully since I last tasted it a few months ago. There is more fruit, power and sheer structure than I had previously found. The fruit remains youthful and primary, while the tannins and overall balance suggest the 2005 will be a long-lived vintage. Hints of red berries, dried flowers and spices linger on the sublime finish. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. My recent tasting with Piero Mastroberardino was a once in a lifetime experience, and not just for me. This was the largest comprehensive vertical the estate had ever staged of their wines. The tasting covered 29 wines (the 30th was corked!) spanning an unbelievable eight decades, going back to the inaugural 1928. All of the wines were brought over from the estate’s cellars, which guaranteed perfect provenance. None of the bottles had ever been reconditioned or recorked. The bottles were opened a few hours prior to serving. Mastroberardino is the royal family of Campania. The estate’s Taurasi, first produced in 1928, is a legendary wine that can rival the best from any region. The Taurasis from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, all made in a staunchly traditional style, remain benchmarks for the entire region. After a period of inconsistent results in the 1990s Mastroberardino seems to have found its way again with a largely traditional approach to winemaking. Although many of today’s leading producers in Campania have chosen to pursue a more modern approach, there is little question that Mastroberardino paved the way for all important wines in Campania. Today Mastroberardino releases as many as three separate Taurasis in any given vintage. The regular Taurasi Radici is made predominantly from vineyards in Mirabella Eclano, but occasionally incorporates fruit from Montemarano as well, while the Radici Riserva is produced from vineyards in Montemarano. Both Radici Taurasis are aged in a combination of French oak barrels and larger Slavonian oak casks. The term Radici refers to the family’s long-running research into clonal selection, rootstocks, site selection and a host of other variables rather than identifying a single vineyard. The Taurasi Naturalis Historia comes from vines in Mirabella Eclano but is made with a more modern view of oenology and is aged exclusively in French oak. Mastroberardino’s 1968 Taurasis are legendary. That year the estate released three single-zone Taurasi Riservas from vineyards in Montemarano, Pian d’Angelo and Castelfranci in addition to their regular and Riserva bottlings. To be clear, these aren’t single-vineyard Taurasis, rather Montemarano, Pian d’Angelo and Castelfranci are best described as zones. Oddly, despite the huge success of their 1968s, Mastroberardino never made the single-zone Taurasis again. While I have tasted the single-zone Taurasis in the past, they weren’t part of this retrospective.