2008 Mastroberardino Villa dei Misteri Pompeiano IGT

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 87 points

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  10/5/2021 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points

  A blend of Piedirosso (90%) and Sciascinoso (10%) from four different vineyards in Pompeii (Casa del Triclinio Estivo, Casa della Nave Europa, Foro Boario, Osteria del Gladiatore) totaling to only one hectare. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques and then another 5 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol. Tasted in a Villa dei Misteri 2007-2012 vertical.
  
  Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color with a moderately evolved russet hue. Dry, restrained and somewhat oxidative nose with quite tertiary aromas of prunes, some wizened red cherries, light raisiny notes, a little bit of beef jerky and old leather, a lifted hint of sweet VA and a touch of cigar smoke. The wine is sinewy, dry and somewhat tired on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of raisins, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of old, dry and cracking leather and beef jerky, light earthy notes, a sweeter hint of dark syrupy richness and a touch of burnt sugar bitterness. The overall impression is quite taut and angular, due to the high acidity and somewhat rough and rustic tannins that really don't get balanced out by the thinning, dried-up fruit. The finish is long, very evolved and rather grippy with savory and slightly thin flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some raisiny fruit, a little bit of oxidative soy sauce, light beef jerky tones, a hint of leather and at touch of smoke.
  
  A surprisingly old and tertiary effort for a Mastroberardino clocking in at just 13 years of age. The fruit is getting already somewhat oxidative and pruney, whereas the structure has done very little if any resolution over the years, resulting in a wine that is getting somewhat flat and tired, yet retains formidable structure that really calls for food. It feels that either the provenance of this bottle has not been up to par, or then this just isn't a wine built to age. Although 2007 vintage was also quite tertiary for its age, it still retained some youthful character, whereas this wine had ventured much deeper into the anonymous old wine territory. Hard to see this wine benefiting from any further cellaring - time to drink up.

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  11/1/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

  The Italian government asked Mastroberardino to work with them on this and an ag. school found grapes in the ruins of Pompeii. They took these (ashen?) grapes and propogated them Jurassic Style. And there it is.
  
  Smells like ash and iodine and medicinal and kinda harsh and bitter. Maybe it will give you immense intellectual but to me there is not much hedonisim to take me to bed with. I might actually kick it out of the bed.

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