Tonight I went back in time. I was enjoying every sip of this stunning 2004 Taurasi from Terredora when my mind starting doing a rewind back to the harvest of the vintage. When this vintage was being harvested, my now 15.5 year old daughter had recently turned 2 and was running around shirtless, saying adorable phrases that we still use today and was in love with toys that have long been donated. Wine has a way of bringing up beautiful memories of the past…one of the reasons I love it.
This wine has had plenty of time to relax in it’s bottle and contemplate what it wanted to become. It is a beautiful garnet color and swishes in the glass like a well framed water polo player. With each sip flavors of plum and dark cherry swirl around vines of black licorice, followed by worn leather and a heavily used cigar box. The flavors are rounded out with a sense of it all gently resting on a forest floor.
When I left Italy in 2010, I shipped back 12 bottles of the 2004 Terredora Di Paolo Falica Contadine Taurasi not knowing when I would drink it or if I would even care about running out. I have 2 bottles left and as it sits, it is perfectly aged. So now I have to decide. Will the wine still be as gorgeous as it is now in 6 years, the recommended ageing potential, or should I enjoy the last couple of bottles before that 2 year old is tossing her graduation cap in the air?