In learning about Italian wine, I love to share the undiscovered areas and grapes, but it is just as important to talk about the regions and grapes that make a region what it is known for. In Sardinia that grape is Cannonau. If you’ve never had wines from Sardinia the Cannonaugrape is a great place to start. It’s the most accessible wine on the market and makes up about 30% of the island’s production with one in every 5 bottles produced from Cannonau.
The Cannonau grape was believed to have originated in Spain and brought to Sardinia by the Aragonese in the 1300s. Although, due to further archaeological studies, there have been 3,200-year-oldCannonau seeds found making it native to Sardinia instead. This would also make it one of the oldest grapes in the Mediterranean.
Sourced from Tenute Soletta
Cannonau, pronounced cannon-now, is also genetically tied to Garnacha in Spain and Grenache in France. This late ripening, thin-skinned grape creates deeply colored wines that are full-bodied with medium to high alcohol. It displays ample red fruits (strawberries and raspberries) along with some spice and white pepper. Cannonau can be made as a single variety or used in a blend. Depending on where the wine originates from, you can get an array of styles from fruity wines to those with depth, richness and spicy notes.
Sourced from Wikipedia - Nuoro province
The majority of the Cannonau vineyards are in the center of Sardinia along the eastern coastline. Some of the best expressions of Cannonau come from the Nuoro province including the areas of Oliena and Jerzu, which make up 70% of the production. There is also the area of Capo Ferrato in the South Sardinia province in the southern east corner worth seeking out.
Sardinia, the 2nd largest island in Italy, is home to over 20 grapes that are native and unique to the island. Red grapes dominate the production with Cannonau leading the pack, but the white grape Vermentino also plays a key part in the makeup of Sardinia’s wine production. Both Cannonau and Vermentino account for about 40% of the island’s plantings. I tend to have highlighted Cannonau over the years, so I wanted to take a deeper look into Vermentino while also highlighting a native white grape Nuragus.
The Grape - Vermentino
Vermentino is the flagship white grape of Sardinia. It is genetically identical to other grapes in northern Italy including Pigato in the Liguria region and Favorita in Piedmont. This grape does well in Sardinia due to its proximity to the ocean with a warm and sunny climate. It’s a grape that is resistant to drought, which at times these grapes face in these conditions.
Sourced by Consorzio Tutela del Vermentino di Gallura
Vermentino shows its best expression in Gallura in the Sassari province in the northeast where its minerality is expressed. These wines typically have floral aromas with lively, refreshing acidity that have a textured body with notes of citrus and tropical flavors with hints of almond and herbs. You may be familiar with Vermentino grown throughout Italy including regions of Tuscany of Liguria, but Vermentino in Sardinia tends to have more intense flavors and structure.
Sourced by Consorzio Tutela del Vermentino di Gallura
There are a couple ofappellations focused on Vermentino that you can find throughout the island. The most important is Vermentino di Gallura DOCG, which is the only DOCG on the island. This area covers the territory of Gallura. In Gallura, Vermentino grows in ideal granite soils that restrict yields, but don’tretain water well. The wines are made from at least 95% Vermentino. The other appellation where you will see Vermentino produced is under the Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, but this territory covers most of the island requiring a minimum of 85% Vermentino.
The Grape – Nuragus
Last week I featured the wines of Antonella Corda, who is one of the producers that works with the Nuragusgrape. Nuragus is an ancient grape that is mostly located in central and southern Sardinia and is the 2nd most planted white grape on the island. It is named after a small town located in the hills between the capital Cagliari and Oristano. Also, throughout the island there are ancient buildings called nuraghe from the ancient Nuragic civilization.
Nuragus is a grape that is best enjoyed in its youth. It contains delicate aromas, but lively acidity with vegetal, citrus and green apple notes. There is one appellation, Nuragus di Cagliari DOC, that spans a large territory producing wines with a minimum of 85% Nuragus that is crisp and fruity.
We keep off April with our Italian Food, Wine & Travel
group covering the regions of Calabria and Sardinia. Our host, Katarina of Grapevine Adventures,
has provided a preview into these regions.
I’ll be starting off the month with Antonella Corda of Sardinia, 5th
generation of wine growers, whom hails from the respected Argiolas family.
Antonella inherited her family business in 2010. Her grandfather, Antonio Argiolas, was the
first to import modern technology to the island of Sardinia after his travels
to California. She grew up around
vineyards since she was a young child and later studied at the University of
Sassari to become an agronomist with further studies to obtain a master
qualification in wine management from the respected Edmund Mach Foundation in
the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. Her parents have been a strong influence with
her mother’s teachings of the wine begins in the soil driving a sense of love
for the land and her fathers passion for the business.
Antonella’s winery is located in Serdiana in the southern
part of Sardinia about 12 miles north of Cagliari in the lower Campodiano. This territory is rich in vineyards, olives
and grain production. Antonella’s
property spans close to a 100 acres with 37 acres dedicated to vines, 30 acres
of olive groves and the rest land cultivated for crop rotation. She has 2 vineyard sites, Mitza Manna and
Mitsa S’ollastu. Mitza Manna was her
grandfather’s favorite vineyard about 650 feet above sea level with 15 acres of
soils consisting of sandy, clay, calcium and loam. The vines consist of Vermentino and Nuraga
white grapes. The 24 acres at Mitsa
S’ollastu border the town of Ussana and are dedicated to Vermentino and
Cannonau grapes on a bed of the river consisting mostly of pebbles with some
sand, clay and loam.
I love this quote from Antonella’s website, “loving the land means showing the same
respect you will have for your mother”.
I feel this exudes her love and respect for the land and will allow her
to continue her passion and hopefully pass it on for generations. Her hard work and dedication to carry out the
family’s legacy was recognized in 2019 by the Gambero Rosso when she received
the “Emerging Winery of the Year”.
I was able to connect with Antonella to ask some further
questions to understand more about the land, her style and what is in store for
Antonella Corda.
1.What
have been some of your biggest challenges since you started making wine? There have been several heterogeneous
challenges. Since I manage a small company, I came across situations being
completely different from one another. The biggest challenge has been the
weather in 2018, an extremely difficult vintage. The heavy rains resulted in
troubles for the vineyard, which was being turned organic during that period,
pointing out the difficulties these climate changes can cause.
2.What
drove you to become organic? A rational approach drove me towards a
sustainable way, which for the vineyards translates into organic. Since the
beginning, it was clear that the organic allowed us to take more care of the
environment and to make healthier wines, as a true expression of their area of
origin.
3.What's
unique about this area of Serdiana where you grow your grapes? The area of Serdiana is peculiar for its deep
soils where sandstone marls provide wines with freshness and elegance.
Serdiana’s elegant wines stand out for their sapidity and the typical scents of
the Mediterranean scrub.
4.How
would you describe your style of winemaking? A respectful style towards the grape and its
origin, authentic winemaking aimed at preserving the scents of indigenous grape
varieties, seen as expressions of Serdiana.
5.Who is your
mentor and whom do you admire in the industry? I don’t have a mentor, I can just think of
different people I met during these years. In the hardest times I think about
my grandad Antonio Argiolas’s approach towards work and people and my grandmum
Evangela Zuddas’s strength, a widow who managed a company on her own in harder
times.
6.What
made you choose the Nuraga grape to work with? The Nuragus grape is one of the oldest
indigenous grape varieties. It was the most important white grape in our area
and in South Sardinia as well. We’re now rediscovering it and its modernity due
to its relevant freshness and low alcohol content. At the beginning, it was my
mother who told me about wonderful Nuragus growing in that area.
7.I
noticed there was some Syrah in the 2021 Cannonau bottle. Do you grow
this grape as well? Yes, we grow Syrah too, a small percentage in
the vineyard gathered together with Cannonau to make a blend not hiding, but
rather highlighting the characteristics of Cannonau.
8.What's
next for you and the winery? The winery is relatively young, and I reckon
some important objectives have been achieved, but I would like to invest in
hospitality and make people smell the area scents holding a glass.
The Wines
I had the fortune of sampling some of Antonella Corda’s wonderful
wines. The 2021 Antonella Corda
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC is made of 90% Cannonau and 10% Syrah. In the 2016 vintage this wine won the
esteemed Tre Bicchieri. Vinified in
stainless steel and spending 6 months of aging in stainless steel and
non-toasted barrique. The wine was
translucent and lightly ruby colored.
Inviting aromas of cherry and raspberries with a touch of white
pepper. This wine was medium-bodied with
juicy red fruit flavors filling the palate with a touch of spice. I found this
wine very approachable and not as heavy as some other Cannonau I have
previously tried. I could picture this
with a slight chill as the days slowly begin to become warmer here in New
England. ABV14.5% SRP $32.99
The 2022 Antonella Corda Vermentino di Sardegna DOC is made
from 100% Vermentino. The grapes are
hand harvested and vinified 6 months in steel tanks on the yeast. The wine was pale straw colored with greenish
hues. A fragrant nose with grassy
aromas, grapefruit, lemon and some tropical notes. Almost reminded me of a New Zealand Sauvignon
Blanc. A mouthwatering acidity up front
that carried throughout. Crisp with minerality
and orange and lemon citrus flavors. A little
warmth on the throat with the fruit lingering through the finish that softened
the palate. ABV 14% SRP $24.99
The 2020 Antonella Corda Ziru Isola dei Nuraghi IGT is naturally
unfiltered and made from Vermentino grapes that are fermented on the skins and
vinified and aged in amphora. The name
Ziru is the ancient local name for the jars that stored oil and wine. Straw colored, the aromas were floral, but
less intense than the prior wine. It had
richer more tropical notes with some vanilla nuances. The medium-bodied wine had a palate that was balanced
and round with persistent tropical notes.
A savory wine with a silky/oily texture.ABV 14% SRP $45
Thirsty for more on Calabria and Sardinia? Read more from our fellow food and Italian wine lovers. You can also join us live on Twitter this Saturday at 11am EST @ #ItalianFWT. Hope to see you there!
Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm reports about Planning a “Trip to France with our Son from Germany while Sipping a Wine from Sardegna”
Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares “On Italian Island Time: Vermentino and Cannonau di Sardegna with Pecorino and Fish Stew”
Camilla from Culinary Cam cooks “Mirto di Sardenga-Kissed Braised Ribs”
Cindy from Grape Experiences shares “Spring in Sardinia: Surrau “Branu” Vermentino Di Gallura DOCG with Spaghetti con le Vongole (Spaghetti and Clams)”
Andrea from The Quirky Cork is “Exploring Sardegna through Vermentino & Monica”
Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles features “Monica and Fregola – a bit of Sardegna at the table”
Your host Katarina from Grapevine Adventures shares about “Two
Authentic Expressions of Native Grapes from Calabria and Sardinia”
Importer: Shiverick Imports
*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are all my own.
