THE ESTATE

BASILISCO

Basilisco was founded in the early 1990s with an immediate focus on the highest quality, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and within a few years it became a jewel of the winemaking landscape in southern Italy. At the beginning of 2011, Feudi di San Gregorio, which had been present in Vulture for over ten years, decided to launch a project to restore the ancient lava caves in the "Shesh," the historic Park of the Cellars of Barile, strongly relaunching the bet made on this area of exceptional viticultural value, which culminated with the acquisition of nearby Basilisco.

With its splendid tuff cellars and vineyards in the most prized contrade of the area, Basilisco is a world of enchanting beauty in the historic heart of Aglianico del Vulture. The face and soul of Basilisco is Viviana Malafarina, who runs the estate and personally and passionately oversees the cellar operations, under the expert guidance of Pierpaolo Sirch, who is also responsible for managing the vineyards.

THE FASCINATING

HISTORY OF THE CELLARSHISTORY OF THE CELLARS

Basilisco is located on Via delle Cantine, in a noble 16th-century palace. Its winemaking and wine storage spaces are found in the fascinating caves of the Shesh, chosen by Pierpaolo Pasolini as the setting for "The Gospel According to Matthew." In the 15th century, groups of Albanian refugees, fleeing Turkish pressure, settled in various areas of southern Italy, creating true enclaves that still exist today. Barile is an Arbëreshë settlement (Italo-Albanian ethnic group), and the dozens of caves carved into the tuff, which characterize its landscape, were excavated by the settlers for housing purposes.

WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

VULTURE, VINEYARDS AND TERRITORYVULTURE, VINEYARDS AND TERRITORY

Since the last eruption, 130,000 years ago, nature has regained its balance, giving rise to a terroir with exceptional characteristics. Since then, the majestic Vulture volcano has watched over the territory, nourishing a simple, spontaneous viticulture, dotted with small bush-trained vines. Our 25 hectares of vineyards are entirely organically farmed. Pierpaolo Sirch, an expert in viticulture and our manager, runs the property with the belief that, by allowing the plants and the soil to reach their proper balance, the best possible fruit can be achieved with the least possible intervention. All the vineyards are in the most prized Contrade of Barile, located between 450 and 600 meters of altitude with a southeast exposure.