Aglianico is the great southern Italian red that almost nobody outside Italy talks about, and Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano in Basilicata, is where it grows best. Paternoster has been working the black volcanic soils around the town of Barile since 1925, and Synthesi is the family’s invitation to newcomers. It keeps the grape’s firm tannin and bright acidity but uses time in wood to soften the edges into something harmonious. The vines sit on a terrace roughly 1,300 to 2,000 feet up, high enough to hold onto freshness in a hot region. Aglianico is picked late, often into November, which is part of why it carries so much structure. This 2018 has had time to settle and drinks beautifully now with something off the grill.