The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Campania

DOCStill huntingHard

Cilento DOC

The wild, sparsely populated national park south of Paestum, where a handful of estates make seaside Fiano and Aglianico that taste warmer and more Mediterranean than their Irpinia cousins. The Fiano shows ripe pear, chamomile, dried herbs and sea salt with a rounder texture; the Aglianico is riper and softer than Taurasi, with black cherry, maquis herbs, licorice and a medium tannin. Many of the best producers (San Salvatore, Maffini, De Conciliis) label most wines as Paestum IGP, so check the label for Cilento DOC. Casebianche is the clearest DOC flag-bearer.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Casebianche
Cilento Aglianico 'Cupersito'
Organic estate at Torchiara run by two architects; savory, herbal Aglianico with sour cherry, dried thyme and a dusty grip.
$28 to $36Wine-Searcher
Tempa di Zoè
Cilento Fiano
Small biodynamic estate; sea-air Fiano with pear, chamomile and a salty, slightly bitter finish.
$20 to $26Wine-Searcher
Luigi Maffini
Cilento Aglianico 'Cenito'
The Cilento's most polished Aglianico from vines above the sea at Castellabate; older vintages were Cilento DOC, newer ones Paestum IGP, so check the label.
$35 to $45Wine-Searcher