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.
The Torbato grape is not indigenous to Italy. It traveled from Spain to France before being brought to Sardinia by the rulers of the day. It is a white grape - known in France's Côtes du Roussillon as Tourbat - and is known for its smoky notes.
This wine was vinified by Giovanni Pinna in stainless steel tanks. Alcohol hits only 12.5% and it sells for a ridiculously low price of about $15. I got mine on sale at Eataly for a few dollars less.
This white wine has the color of light onion skin - a nice hue for a white which has been in the bottle for some five years. The nose is immediately familiar to me, even though I have never tasted this grape before. It smells like the white wines of the Midwest and northeastern U.S. There is a strong fruit aroma - apricot and Meyer lemon - and an even stronger mineral aspect. A little bit of melon brings what little sweetness I pick up. The palate shows a basket full of savory notes - lanolin, minerals, citric tartness, pepper, spice and sage. Acidity is fine - not too tingly but not too flat. The finish is lengthy and focused on the fruit. I am impressed.
This wine paired magnificently, by the way, with the turmeric and lemon bowtie pasta I bought at Eataly. I mixed it with cabbage and onions in butter. So simple, so good.
Pala Vermentino di Sardegna Stellato 2019
The Sardinia Pala wine estate was founded in 1950. Mario Pala is the third generation of the family to tend the vines, with the help of his wife Rita and the fourth generation of the family: Massimiliano, Elisabetta and Mariantonietta.
The Vermentino grapes for this wine were grown in a single 60-year-old vineyard. The wine was fermented in steel and aged there for five months on the lees, the spent yeast cells. This gives additional heft to the wine and a fuller mouthfeel. Alcohol gets up to 14% abv and the wine sells for and average price of $18.
This Vermentino delivers what I love about the grape, especially those from Sardinia. It is a smell that is more than simple salinity, it is the ocean. With flowers floating on it. The palate brings a savory smattering of citrus, along with a gentle acidity that lets us know that it is there without ripping a gash in our tongues. Seafood time.
Vigna Surrau is also located on the Italian island of Sardinia - Sardegna, if you prefer. The isle is mainly mountainous, and the winery says there is plenty of unspoiled wilderness and forests of oak and cork trees.
Their 2019 Vermentino di Gallura Superiore Sciala comes from Sardinia's jagged coastline, the part in the island's northeast corner, called Costa Smeralda - the Emerald Coast. Gallura - which means "stony area" - is the first and only Sardinian DOCG. The 100% Vermentino grapes were grown in that region's granitic soil. Alcohol tips 14% abv and the average price for a bottle is $24.
This wine has a floral nose, but that does not shortchange the minerality. There is a good bit of lemon and salinity in the mix, too. The palate shows the citrus and minerals strongest, with a very nice bit of acidity. Extremely nice, actually. I should have had some seafood with it, but it was cream of mushroom soup day at the house, with some rice on the side. It paired quite well.
Carignano, is known in its native Spain as Carignane, a grape which the winery identifies as being known for its elegant and velvety tannins. The 2015 vintage was reportedly a good season - there were only a few days of rain in late September which had no effect on the grapes.
This Sardinian wine is extremely dark and smells of tart, red fruit and a strong herbal accent. It really has a wonderful nose. The palate comes on a bit riper, but not much. The acidity is quite fresh and racy, while the tannins are firm enough, but do not get in the way. Pair this wine with salami.
