Under the guidance of Umbria's legendary Paolo Bea, the Sisters of the Cistercian order at the Vitorchiano monastery practice organic farming and produce wine as honest, sympathetic and gracious as they are. Coenobium ( the 'monastery') comes from the volcanic soils that underlay the vineyards. The extended contact that the fermenting juice has with the skins is a special vinification technique encouraged by Bea. A blend of Trebbiano, Verdicchio, and Malvasia grapes might leave you praising the Almighty. The Ruscum is left to ferment on the lees for a period of two weeks or more, extracting all of the flavors, colors and textures of its fruit. The result is a wine of often deep golden color and penetrating minerality with hints of herbs, particularly anise, and wild flowers. There are approximately 4000 bottles produced annually of this cuvée, the overwhelming majority of which comes to the USA.