Marco Tinessa, of Benevento origins, is a professional broker who left Montesarchio, in the province of Benevento, to emigrate to Milan. Sommelier and passionate taster, despite his life in the Lombard metropolis, Marco has never forgotten that small Aglianico vineyard that he owns in the Torre district of Montemarano and, starting from it, he began to produce a pure Aglianico that perfectly reflects the essence of the vine and the terroir.
Thanks to the Sicilian origins of his wife, he then has the opportunity to meet Frank Cornelissen, a winemaker of Belgian origin, with a volcanic and charismatic temperament, known among professionals and enthusiasts as one of the greatest protagonists of the Etna wine scene, with whom he soon discovers that he shares the idea of producing purely artisanal wines: thus, in 2007, "O'gnostro" was born, an Aglianico produced with natural methods and aged, in the cellars of Cornelissen, in terracotta amphorae for a period which, depending on the vintage, ranges from 2 to 3 years.
The result of spontaneous fermentation, in order to best preserve the characteristic aromas of the vine and the vintage, use of neutral containers and a minimum quantity of sulfur, the wine is born from a principle that inspires, then, all stages of production, from processing of the vineyard to bottling: the desire to preserve the unique characteristics of Aglianico.
The "O'gnostro" is a real nectar; charged in color, complex on the nose and inevitably full in the body, it reveals an unexpected freshness and elegance. Wonderfully articulated, the alcohol content on the label must not, then, mislead: "O'gnostro" offers supreme drinkability, in which the heat does not weigh at all and the minerality stands out without too much effort.
In "O'gnostro", therefore, elegance and power are understood magnificently and, upon tasting, one sip tirelessly chases the next. An Aglianico that, although to some it might appear out of the box, traces, like ink, in fact, an indelible mark.