Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture Bio

There are certain places that ooze history, like the Shesh caves in Barile (Basilicata). You can still find some stories in these caves in southern Italy, because there are details and anecdotes engraved in the tufa stone. The Italo-Albanian ethnic group called the Arberesche lived in these tunnels and Pierpaolo Pasolini used them as the setting for his film The Gospel according to Matthew. 

We can still walk through and visit them, partly thanks to Tenute Capaldo, one of the largest wine companies in Italy, whose main objective is to recover and preserve the traditions of each area and reflect them in the wines they make. This philosophy, with which they founded their first winery, Feudi di San Gregorio, in 1986, has led them to other areas like Tuscany (Campo Alle Comete), and Basilicata, where they founded Azienda Agricola Basilisco in 1990. More than 30 years have passed and their good work has been noticed both in their wines (one of which is Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture Bio), and in the recovery of these caves, traditionally used for the production of wine and oil. It seems that the tufa, a typical volcanic rock of the area, keeps the environment at a constant temperature between 16°C and 18°C, creating the perfect atmosphere for aging and making wine.

Obviously, the quality of Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture Bio is also influenced by the vineyards, planted on the soils near the Vulture volcano (extinct for 130,000 years), where the company owns 25 hectares divided into plots. All of them are overseen by Pierpaolo Sirch, who ensures that the vines, planted at an altitude of 450 to 600 metres above sea level and facing southeast, receive the best organic care. Their Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture Bio red wine is grown in a small 4 hectares plot of Aglianico, one of the area’s historic varieties.

When it comes to Azienda Agricola Basilisco, the moment of truth arrives at different times for each plot, respecting the ripening times of each one. After the harvest, which is completely manual, the bunches of grapes are taken to the underground cellars where they ferment and macerate (for 25 to 30 days) in stainless steel tanks (a very neutral and clean material that does not contribute any substance to the wine). The aromas and flavours of Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture will vary somewhat in the French oak barrels and casks (of various uses), where this red wine will remain for almost a year. Finally, aging rounds off with another year in the bottle.

In Greek, basilisk, meaning little king, is what the governor of Basilicata was known as during Byzantine rule. If we think about it, there is no better name for Basilisco Teodosio Aglianico del Vulture Bio: a great little Italian wine.