Paternoster (Tommasi)

Basilicata, Italy

 

This historic estate has produced outstanding Aglianico for three generations now. It was Anselmo Paternoster who started the family in viticulture back in 1925, when he saw potential where others just saw poverty in the little town of Barile. Then it was Giuseppe Paternoster who always generously extended his knowledge to the entire zone and, like Basilicata's other great traditionalist D'Angelo, he deserves respect for having put the remote appellation of Aglianico del Vulture on the radar of wine enthusiasts worldwide. Now Vito Paternoster is the leading force, with his father actively developing an important program to replant the vineyards. Vito decided to really improve the status of this estate back in the late 1990's, when he chose to lower yields for greater concentration, shorten the maceration period to rid the wine of rough tannins, and improve grape selection, thereby revamping the entire operation. Paternoster is famous for two different but equally important expressions of Aglianico, each marking the identity of a generation: the Rotondo is an innovative modern wine and the Don Anselmo more traditional but just as rewarding.