Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Agamium’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($21.95) Buy Now: $18
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Agamium’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2009
Set in the rolling Alpine foothills 25 miles west-northwest of Milan, on morainic soil suited especially well to Nebbiolo, it’s no surprise people have been growing wine in Ghemme since Neolithic times. The Celts made wine here, as did the Romans, who called Ghemme “Agamium.” The region’s cooler climate (compared to the more southerly Barolo) ripens the Nebbiolo grape to produce softer wines than the famous (and far more expensive) Nebbiolos to the south. Cantalupo is a top name in the Ghemme, and their 2009 Agamium proves nothing if not seductive. Smoothed and refined by bottle time, the wine’s medium body lets the fruit shine through—cherries, strawberries, blueberries—alongside dry, mellow tannins. Antonio Galloni nailed it by suggesting a “Chambolle-like” finish. Fans of Burgundian-style Piedmont wines will enjoy the 2009 Agamium, and Cantalupo’s higher-level wines, too. At $18 a bottle, this wine should be hoarded. – Daniel
91 POINTS ANTONIO GALLONI “The 2009 Colline Novaresei Agamium is floral, bright and deeply expressive, with plenty of lift and red stone fruit character. Feminine and gracious throughout, the 2009 offers considerable grace and plenty of near to medium-term appeal. A final burst of Chambolle-like fruit rounds out the finish.”
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