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Basilisco

I was aware of Viviana Malafarina’s work prior to my tasting with her earlier this year, but seeing the Storico vineyard firsthand was a revelation. The vines of Storico, the site of one of Basilisco’s Cru wines, are 80 years old, ungrafted and growing intertwined with olive and fruit trees. What’s more, the vines are trained using an ancient cane system called cupanno (which translates to shed), where the producer must work each vine by hand on a regular basis to change the positions of the canes depending on the season. The scale of work involved in this process cannot be understated, and Viviana Malafarina does it all herself. However, what she has done for Vulture and Basilisco goes even further. Today, the Basilisco winery is owned by Feudi di San Gregorio of Campania, who have allowed Malafarina to explore and experiment over the years. Malafarina renovated the ancient caves in Barile to house the fermentation and barrel rooms of Basilisco. She also convinced Feudi di San Gregorio to sponsor her single-vineyard “Cru” lineup, a true testament to Vulture terroir and the potential of the region. Now, she is working to perfect a crisp and mineral Fiano (Vulture is sadly lacking in serious traditional whites), which I tasted only from tank, but found to be very exciting. Malfarina achieved all of these innovations while maintaining an exceptionally high quality with the winery's flagship wines, the Aglianico del Vulture Basilisco and Teodosio. For collectors looking to build a cellar of long-aging, sight-specific Aglianico from Vulture, Basilisco holds a firm spot amongst my top three or four producers.

From Getting in on the Ground Floor: Aglianico del Vulture (May 2024) by Eric Guido

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2021 Aglianico del Vulture Teodosio

Release Price: $25

Color: Red

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