Cantina Madonna delle Grazie “Liscone”
Basillicata, Italy | 2018
Basilicata is a region located in Southern Italy, sandwiched between Puglia to its east, Campania to the west, and Calabria to the south.
The region is one of the last relatively undiscovered frontiers in wine production in Italy. Want proof? Name anyone you know who can tell you the name of the fifteen communes that comprise the Aglianico del Vulture DOC/DOCG? Even us wine professionals are still learning about the region as quality continues to rise, and small producers like Cantina Madonna delle Grazie become available to us here in the states.
Brothers Paolo and Michele Latoracca are based in the small village of Venosa, which is tucked away in the Northwest corner of the region. They are Aglianico specialists, producing several different bottlings from their various vineyard sources. While Aglianico is more famous in neighboring Campania, the deep volcanic clay soils formed by Monte Vulture provide excellent material for the varietal in Basilicata.
If you have never had Aglianico del Vulture before, then “Liscone” from Cantina Madonna delle Grazie is a textbook example to introduce you. From a 5.5 hectare vineyard, farmed organically, these 30+ year-old Aglianico vines sit at 430 meters of altitude.
The maceration of the grape varies on “Liscone” from year to year, depending on the tannic structure of the grapes that the vintage provides. It takes somewhere between 14 and 24 days, with some daily punch downs to build texture and structure. The wine is aged in stainless steel for 18 months before being racked into used 500-liter French oak barrels for one year. It is then moved back to stainless steel for three to six months before being bottled.
The resulting wine is classic Aglianico, with dark, sinewy fruit on the nose, along with mineral and spice notes. Medium-plus bodied the dark fruits continue on the palate, with a long, earthy finish. As we head into Fall and Winter, this is a great everyday value to pair with braised meats and winter roasts.