Marco Tinessa, Aglianico "Ognostro Rosso" Montemarano, Campania, Italy 2017

100% Aglianico from Montemarano (Historically known as the best site in the Taurasi appellation and made famous by Mastroberardino in the 1960s). The vines are on average 30 years old, and are organically farmed. Rich and tangy with wild berries and balsamic notes. Aglianico is a deeper, darker grape, but the natural farming that brings us this bottle results in a more vibrant style. Ognostro is a local term for wine in Neapolitan dialect and literally means “ink.” Aged in terracotta amphorae. Great with pasta with meaty sauces or a wood fired sausage pizza. The Aglianico was de-stemmed and maceration lasted for a month in fiberglass vat. The wine was fermented in fiberglass and aged for two years in fiberglass and concrete. Fermentation was done with indigenous yeasts and SO2 was added only after the end of the fermentation. The wine was not fined or filtered. Marco Tinessa’s story is not your average Italian winemaking story: he has no family vineyards, nor centuries-old roots. A ban