A Garnacha By Another Name Is... Cannonau

The Cardedu winery is on the Italian island of Sardinia, where Sergio Loi's family has farmed the granitic soil since the early 20th century. 

The 2020 Cardedu Caladu Cannonau di Sardegna is made from 100% Cannonau grapes, spelled with one n on the front label. Cannonau is Sardegna's version of the Spanish Garnacha grape, and the most widely-planted grape on the island.  Caladu is the Sardinian word for sunset.

Caladu was fermented in cement tanks, then aged three years in cement. Alcohol checks in at 13.5% abv and I paid $23 for it at Eataly.

This wine is inky dark. The nose has very dark fruit notes, but it is primarily savory. Aromas of tobacco, tar, smoke, and earth dominate, in a bold show. The palate has more fruit coming forward, but it still has to fight for attention with the savory flavors. I paired the Cannonau with a variety of cheeses to good effect, but it went quite well with sauteed mushrooms. 

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