nº101 / TENUTA LE QUERCE / BARILE BASILICATA / ITALY

In the southern curve of Italy, on the rural land of Basilicata, the Pietrafesa family runs a 30-year-old Italian vineyard Tenuta Le Querce, that still maintains a small, traditional production of wine and other delicious Italian products. We went for a tour in the region and for a special wine tasting at their vineyard.

Review by Angelina Pietrafesa

Fine notes by Zoltan Alexander

THE (H)ART

OF WINE

MAKING in Basilicata, at the Tenuta Le Querce vineyard

The tour started in the southern region of Basilicata (Italy), the home to an antique countryside town, Barile (Italian for Barrell). The city is accessible via Bari or Naples, and there are many untouched beauties in this region, like the 10th-century abbey of San Michele Arcangelo. The abbey sits within the extinct volcano Il Vulture and looks over the Monticchio lake, leaving behind fertile and rich, almost-black, volcanic soil.

From here, driving east for an hour or so, we passed by the Castello Melfi, once home to Federico II, which perches above the quaint town of Melfi. One could find typical dishes here such as the melt-in-your-mouth Baccalà, salted codfish, homemade Strascinati pasta with grated ricotta cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, and flakes of pepperoni cruschi, peppers that are dried and fried in the heat.

PHOTO / Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork by Zoltan Alexander

Nearby, there is another little town, Matera, known for its houses carved into the rocks and its recent feature in the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. 

Spectacular views are guaranteed from the Dolomiti Lucane, Basilicata’s mountains, with the world's longest Tibetan bridge, and a unique slide on zip-wire, named Il Volo Del Angelo (Italian for the Flight of the Angel).

Returning to Earth and the incredible scenery, we entered the home of Tenuta Le Querce, which is a family-run vineyard that maintains traditional production for superior quality wines, in the rich, rural land of Basilicata. It is also the home of the unique grape Aglianico del Vulture.

PHOTO / Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork by Zoltan Alexander

Almost 30 years ago, Leonardo Pietrafesa founded Tenuta Le Querce, a vineyard that focused on producing the finest quality of Aglianico del Vulture wine. Winemaking always lingered throughout his childhood, when his father, Angelo Pietrafesa, bought the Aglianico grapes to make typical homemade wine. We happily accepted Pietrafesa’s invitation to visit the vineyard, and it’s Leonardo’s daughter, Angelina, who walked us through the family’s heritage and some dangerous wine tasting.

Leonardo and his wife Valentina currently live close to their vineyard in Basilicata, with their five dogs. Besides winemaking and growing olive trees, they have been surrounded by contemporary art that they have collected over the years, including pieces by Italian sculptor Giacinto Cerone and paintings by artist Josè Garcia Ortega, who resided for many years in the nearby town of Matera. The winery is already very modern, but Valentina’s talent and love for contemporary art shine through the entire estate, right to the smallest detail of her clothing - she was wearing a breathtaking Issey Miyake for our reasonably casual wine tasting.

Both Valentina and Leonardo come from creative backgrounds; Leonardo from architecture in Naples, and Valentina studied design in Rome. She currently works as an interior designer both in Rome and London, and as an art curator with gallery owner Marco Venturi of MadeinBritaly, bringing recognition to Italian ceramics.

PHOTOS / Tenuta Le Querce - the house - Valentina's boots - Leonardo Pietrafesa / Photos © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa

Leonardo, with a clear memory, told us a little anecdote of a rather unconventional maintenance of the wooden barrels. “A small woman came by the house, and to thoroughly clean the inside of these barrels, she removed all of her clothes and crawled inside the large barrel. It was the only way to ensure that the inside wood was scrubbed and properly cleaned. Perhaps it gave that special something to the wine itself.” These memories for Pietrafesa keep alive the need for tradition in the winemaking craft.

PHOTO / Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa

THE HARVEST

Each year, from October to November, the harvest begins when the vine leaves turn orange, and the grapes reach the perfect ripeness. The grapes are vinified on site, as well as the maturing and the bottling of the wine. The labels are also designed by the Pietrafesa family.

As idyllic as it may sound, no one does grape-treading anymore as a method of maceration used in winemaking. The most exciting moment, however, arrives when we enter the wine tasting, and on an unusually hot afternoon, we were rescued upon entering the cave, a place that stores the bottles at a consistent temperature.

After the first glass, here comes the first lesson, slightly technical for a non-wine-trained mind, but certainly fascinating and educational.

PHOTO / "Viola" Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork Zoltan Alexander

REDS OF RED

Aglianico del Vulture

Choosing to grow Aglianico del Vulture grapes came naturally, as it is the only DOC grape (an Italian classification ensuring grapes come from their designated origin) in the area. Tenuta Le Querce comes with many different reds: Aglianico del Vulture; Angelina, Viola, Costanza, and Vigna della Corona. They are all 100% Aglianico del Vulture, and they only differ in maturity and, therefore, in taste.

Angelina red comes from what is considered a young vine for this grape, around 18-20 years old, and the name takes after their daughter, Angelina.

Viola, a blend of Costanza and Angelina, translates to purple due to the uniquely purple hues of this wine.

Costanza comes from a 60-year-old vineyard that belonged to the land before Pietrafesa acquired it, and although wine is typically ungendered, Pietrafesa has clearly given it a female identity. Costanza presents notes of vanilla and tobacco, a sign of excellent maturity and refinement for this grape.

Leonardo’s most prestigious Aglianico wine, Vigna della Corona, takes its name from the carved stones of the land that once belonged to King Federico II. Only the finest bunches are selected for this wine. Producing only five thousand bottles a year, this wine is only sold privately to those who are willing to learn its story and understand its small yet significant place within Basilicata’s cultural heritage.

PHOTO / "Angelina" Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork Zoltan Alexander

Pietrafesa believes the minimum time before Aglianico del Vulture red wine is ready for sale is 3 years. Angelina and Viola spend 12 months in a wooden barrel, whilst Costanza spends 18 months.

Tamurro

Pietrafesa’s true passion arose when he discovered an abandoned vineyard containing Tamurro grapes, a rare vine brought over centuries ago from France.

The vine itself was taken to Milan to be studied and cloned alongside Professor Leonardo Valenti. Together, they developed Tamurro Nero, a wine Tenuta Le Querce is proud to be the sole producer of. This wine has a notable sweetness, not quite enough for a dessert wine but enough that it requires a specific pairing.

PHOTO / "Tamurro Nero" Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork Zoltan Alexander

Pietrafesa explains: “This wine can be enjoyed on its own, classifying it as a meditation wine”. He adds: “or with pairing with bittersweet dishes like ‘orange duck,’ ‘pork cooked with prunes’ and a white ‘Genovese’ ragù containing slow-cooked caramelised onions. French cheeses and dark chocolates also make excellent pairings for an after-dinner treat.”

Food pairing is definitely an exciting subject for him. All Aglianico del Vulture reds are perfectly paired with red meats and any tomato-based pasta sauces. Pairing exceptionally with fish, the white and rosé wines suit Baccalà, spaghetti with Vongole (clams), or rigatoni with swordfish and a touch of cherry tomato. For vegetarians, these wines suit seasonal dishes of asparagus and artichoke risotto or Basilicata’s local delicacy, Orecchiette con cime di rapa, little ears with broccoli rabe.

PHOTO / "Piryanka rosé " of Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa

WHITES & ROSES

Aglianico del Vulture

A red grape Aglianico del Vulture can be vinified into white and rosé through a softer pressing of the grapes, extracting the peel holding all the colour. The Angelina white and rosé wines are deliciously dry yet fresh and present their distinguished notes of lychees, baked apples, and chamomile flowers. The Costanza white differs in that it is blended with 20% Viognier for a more unique and distinctive aromatic quality.

By that time, the wine tasting had gone quite jolly, but it was not over.

PHOTO / "Piryanka" of Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa

THE IRRESISTIBLE SPARKLING

Angelina Brut

The Tenuta Le Querce range is completed by Angelina Brut, a sparkling white using the traditional champagne method. Each bottle is filled and left to ferment individually, an arduous yet rewarding process, ensuring each bottle reaches its individual perfection. 

The range boasts a brut sparkling wine in both white and rosé named Priyanka. The rosé comes close to a Prosecco as it is made of 90% Glera grape, typically used for Prosecco, and only 10% Aglianico del Vulture in red to make it ‘blush,’ says Pietrafesa. The white, on the other hand, is more Aglianico del Vulture blended with 30% Chardonnay grapes; the perfect bubbly that will complement absolutely anything.

PHOTOS / La Casa and the caves of Tenuta Le Querce / Photos © Barbara Cirigliano

Tied to Basilicata’s traditional culture, the Pietrafesa family is keeping their production traditional, and they chose to remain private as a family-run vineyard. The wines from Tenuta Le Querce are available in selected stores and restaurants across Italy, and at Primrose Hill’s Farmer’s Market in London.

Every day, the open countryside and wild, untouched nature keep Valentina’s and Leonardo’s creative spirit alive and allow them to have an active participation in the making and distribution of their wine. These rich and magical places in Basilicata are still untouched by mass tourism and can still ensure authenticity and quality in this part of the world.

PHOTO / "Tenuta Le Querce / Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa / Artwork Zoltan Alexander

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INDEX

COVER

“Tenuta Le Querce”

Photo © Courtesy of Angelina Pietrafesa

Cover design © ZOLTAN+MEDIA Paris

VINEYARD

“Tenuta Le Querce”

Angelina Wines

Barile, Basilicata (Italy)

Via delle Cantine, 10

85022 Barile, PZ

Italy

Farmers Market

Primrose Hill Road

NW3 3DS

London

UK

PHOTOGRAPHERS

© Angelina Pietrafesa

© Barbara Cirigliano

VIDEOS

© Angelina Wines

VISUALS & WEBDESIGN

© Zoltan Alexander ZOLTAN+MEDIA Paris

WEB LINK

https://tenutalequerce.it

PRODUCTS

Angelina Red

100% Aglianico Del Vulture; 12 months in the barrel; 13.5% alcoholic grade.

Angelina Rosè

100% Aglianico Del Vulture vinified in rosè; refined in smaller steel tanks; 12.5 % alcoholic grade.

Angelina White

100% Aglianico Del Vulture vinified in white; refined in steel tanks; 12.5 % alcoholic grade.

Priyanka Rosè

Brut sparkling wine, 90% Glera grape used to make Prosecco, and 10% Aglianico del Vulture, giving its deep blush colour; 3 months on yeast; 11% alcoholic grade.

Priyanka White

Brut sparkling wine, 70% Aglianico Del vulture vinified in white, and 30% Chardonnay produced using the traditional Charmat/Martinotti method; 3 months on yeast; 11% alcoholic grade.

Viola

100% Aglianico del Vulture; 12 months in the barrel, 12 months in the bottle; 13.5% alcoholic grade.

Costanza red

100% Aglianico del Vulture; 18 months in the barrel; 14%.

Costanza white

80% Aglianico Del Vulture, 20% Viognier for a more aromatic quality; refined in steel tanks; 12.5 % alcoholic grade.

Angelina Brut

Aglianico del Vulture 50%, Pinot Noir 25%, and Chardonnay 25% sparkling wine made using the traditional champagne method; 70 months on yeast; 12.5% alcoholic grade.

Vigna della Corona

100% Aglianico del Vulture; 24 months in the barrel, 12 months in the bottle; 14% alcoholic grade.

Tamurro Nero

100% Tamurro; 24 months in the barrel, 24 months in the bottle; 14% alcoholic grade.