Michele Perillo is a humble winemaker, who only started making his own wine in 1999 after years of selling his grapes. His Taurasi vineyards are at unusually high elevation, and he harvests unusually late to let the Aglianico develop as much flavor and structure as possible. His cellar is filled with old barrels, and the wines he makes require age before they're fit for drinking. Thus, he does the aging for us! The 2012 edition is an earthy classic. Rich leather, a pepper store's worth of pepper, black cherry pie, volcanic clay soil and pipe smoke, with a touch of fig and tamarind, allspice and vanilla. The palate is properly aged - though by no means done - with long tannins, powerful dark fruit like currants and plums cooked with orange zest. Stewed fruit and smoked meat linger the on finish. This is a perfect Taurasi, the sort of unhurried, elegantly rustic wine that made Taurasi famous in the first place.