Region: Aglianico del Vulture DOC, Basilicata, Italy

Varietal: 100% Aglianico

Tasting notes: Synthesi stands out among this region's warm-climate wines for its lively freshness. It feels cool and vivacious, as brisk acidity flows through its juicy raspberry flavors, picking up notes of licorice, wild herb and graphite. The tannins are firms and mineral, adding to the impression of coolness and allowing the vibrant fruit flavors to flow unimpeded.

Producer: Volcanic wines are currently a hot topic among wine critics and enthusiasts worldwide, and Paternoster is very much of the moment: it is a volcanic wine in the literal sense of the term and stands on an extinct volcano. Paternoster is located in the relatively unknown southern Italian region of Basilicata, on the slopes surrounding Mount Vulture, and has long been considered one of the region’s most important wineries. Along with neighboring Taurasi in Campania, the area around Mount Vulture is considered one of the top areas for the production of the Aglianico grape – earning it its reputation as the “Barolo of the South” by many leading wine writers.

Vineyard and Winemaking: The vineyards that ultimately lead to the creation of Synthesi are located at between 1300 to 2000 feet above sea level. The Paternoster estate encompasses 20 hectares (50 acres) of black soil of volcanic origin in different wine-growing districts in the countryside of the small town Barile. All of the vineyards lie on a natural terrace overlooking Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano, and have black soils of volcanic origin. The grapes are typically harvested around the middle of October, and crushed, destemmed and vinified in stainless steel tanks. 80% is typically aged in large Slavonian oak barrels and 20% in French barriques.