Bisceglia

A relative newcomer to the Italian wine scene, Bisceglia is quickly gaining a reputation as a name to watch, quickly picking up two prestigious Tri Biccheri awards from the Gambero Rosso and having another of their wines labelled as Italy's best Syrah by the same organisation.

The winery is located in the beautiful hill town of Lavello (birthplace of Horace, he of "Nunc est Bibendum fame") in the sparse, wild region of Basilicata. Visiting it is like stepping back in time. You can drive for hours and not see another car. The food is rustic and regional. The people open and honest. The only modern building you'll see is Bisceglia's state of the art winery.

The extinct volcano Mount Vulture looms across the open landscape, past eruptions having bequeathed winemakers rich, volcanic soils that give the wines a fine minerality. The key grape is Aglianico - sometimes called the Nebbiolo of the South - for its power, longevity and elegance. Until recently the potential of this grape has been largely untapped. Poorly tended vineyards and overlong oak ageing producing muddy wines plagued with volatile acidity. Bisceglia's modern approach is changing all that.

Biscgelia's 35ha of estate vines are all farmed organically - full certification and accreditation will follow in 2009 - and the grapes in the immaculate vineyards are only harvested when fully ripe. In the case of Aglianico that can mean late October or even November, with all the risks inherent in that. In the cellar, the wines are gently handled and vinfied with the care you'd expect of a top Tuscan or Piedmontese producer but which has been all too rare in the South until relatively recently.

Of the three Aglianicos, the Terre di Vulcano is open and fruity, seeing no new oak and made from younger, higher yielding vines. It is a wonderful introduction to the grape. The Tri Biccheri winning Gudarra is bigger and richer, a modern expression of Aglianico with sweet oak and delicious tannins. The Riserva takes a more traditional approach with long ageing in old oak producing a fine, elegant wine light in colour but full of spiced cherry fruit. Tasting it you can immediately see the links with the best Nebbiolos.