Aglianico del Vulture, potentially superior wine, one of only a handful in basilicata, based on the tannic and ageworthy aglianico grape planted on the slopes of Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano, between 200 and 700 m elevation. The doc zone consists of close to 400 ha/1,000 acres, all on soils of volcanic origin in the north west of the zone and benefiting from cool nights at an elevation of 450 to 600 m (1,970 ft). The area was given its own DOC as early as 1971, while the Superiore and Riserva versions of the wines were elevated to docg in 2010. Minimum vine density for both DOC and DOCG is a low 3,350 plants/ha, while the high permitted yields of 10 tons/ha for the DOC is lowered to 8 tonnes/ha for the DOCG. Quality-focused producers, however, demand much lower yields from their vines to produce the sturdy, classic red wine with a real propensity for extended cellaring.
