Aglianico del Vulture Superiore

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Extinct volcano active until the Pleistocene, with eruptive activity beginning ~800,000 years ago: river damming, lakes, and accumulations of lava and pyroclastic deposits.
• Subsoils of volcanic tufi and arenaceous sedimentary tufi: an alternation of origins that acts as a water reserve for the vine during the dry summer months.
• Soils ranging from sandy-pozzolanic to silty-clayey, all rich in colloids; vineyards between 200 and 700 m a.s.l., with east and south-east exposures. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Arid conditions in July and August with peaks of 35 °C driven by desiccating African winds; annual rainfall between 650 and 1,300 mm, concentrated in autumn and winter. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The volcanic massif generates breezes and air currents from both the eastern and western coasts, lowering summer temperatures and promoting phenolic development in the grape skins.

• Viticulture documented in the Vulture area as early as the 7th century BC, cited by Pliny, Strabo, Virgil, Martial, and Horace.
• The extreme fragmentation of landholdings — still below one hectare today — has historically shaped local viticulture, tied to the subsistence farming family.

• Summer African winds reaching 35 °C desiccate the leaves; breezes from the volcanic massif lower temperatures, promoting phenolic development in the grape skins. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Harvest takes place in October and November in a subhumid to humid climate, with ripening extended by a pronounced diurnal temperature range.

• The volcanic subsoil (tufi and pyroclastic deposits) acts as a water reserve for the vine during the dry summer months, modulating water stress. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0527
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela Aglianico del Vulture