The zorro of Basilicata: the #sage aglianico del vulture

A letter “Z” slashed into a black canvas, leaving no doubts: the legendary Zorro was here!

And even this Aglianico del Vulture by Quarta Generazione, a dark, reckless red just like the Latin hero, leaves an indelible mark on the smiles of those who drink it, signing its name on the label with its trademark: a reddish, purplish stain.

With its bold, full-bodied temperament and biting, macho tannins, it’s the ultimate powerful red for drinkers with attributes.

A wine with a #Sage character, through necessity and not through choice. 

Besides, it is made in Basilicata, a passionate and sometimes rough land, that you must adapt to if you want to survive there. Here the vines climb up the slopes of Mount Vulture, a seven-peaked volcano, now extinct, suck that strong mineral taste we find in the glass from its soil.

It might be extinct, but when it was active it is said to have been hair-raising: “terrible and fiery”.

And in fact, the fear that this imposing, millinery guardian has always instilled might just be the reason why, for many years, Basilicata remained an unexplored location from which the less dauntless would steer well clear.

So much so that there was even a suspicion that this region, like Molise, did not really exist. That it was the only legend.

Rocco Papaleo’s film “Basilica Coast to Coast” was useful for dispelling all doubts and revealing the area and its wonders in all their glory.

But for those who may still have doubts, or who believe that all cinema is only fiction, here’s the proof of its existence in flesh and blood, or rather in anthocyanin and tannin: the Aglianico del Vulture by Quarta Generazione.

And it’s definitely a tough one, guys!

It’s certainly not one of those #Sage wines that offer us with endless advice and encouragement as we sip it while chatting on the couch.

Reserved and mysterious – you have to really scout it out on the wine shelf – it only appears when needed and entertains the palate like an enthralling duel between swordsmen, full of stunts and acrobatic tricks.

But it has a sophisticated soul. Like Zorro, it conceals a secret identity. 

Behind that dark cloak, and that acidity as sharp as a blade lies an extremely elegant nose.

Little by little, while accustoming itself to the oxygen, it releases a complex array of aromas that take you by surprise, opening out into notes of violet, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and ripe berries.

And you get to know its other side, the more gentle, cultivated side of Giovanna Pasternoster, the producer from Basilicata who carries forward her family’s wine-making tradition, now in its fourth generation.

Many define it as the Barolo of the South, but I like to call it The Fox of Vulture.