Italy's last wine frontier - II

by Andrew Catchpole, 2008

The Producers

Any tour of Sardinia's wineries (and the DOC Wine Consortium produces a very thorough book in English on several wine routes, gastronomy and local points of interest) takes time as the island is surprisingly big and the wineries far flung. I headed to the south and then zig-zagged my way up the country to take in as much as I could.

Santadi

First stop was Santadi in the south-west, a typical cooperative where 75% of the 230 members collective 600ha is planted to Carignano (Carignan). The loss of the French bulk market at the beginning of the 1980's drove the decision to begin bottling and selling Santadi-labelled wines with the blessing of roving consultant Giacomo Tachis who identified the potential for quality from pre-phyloxera vines in the these sandy soils. Best of the wines is the intense, tobacco and spice ripe flagship Terre Brune Carignano del Sulcis DOC which blends a dash of Boval with Carignano, plus the pure berry and herb fruit of the entry level Grotta Rossa showing the appeal of 100% local Carignano.

Pala

The real star of the south is Pala, a 54ha family-owned winery begun in the 1950's but which started bottling under its own label as recently as 1998, again representing the very recent swing to quality estate bottled wine in much of Sardinia. White Vermentino and Nuragus (for which Sardinia's second white DOC. Nuragus di Cagliari was created), plus Carignano and the indigenous Monica are the backbone of the wines here. The snappy, modern-designed labels are reflected in the crisp, aromatic styles of Vermentino, with added richness and complexity found in the Entemari, which blends in Chardonnay and Malvasia for extra depth. Cannonau and Bovale make an appearance as excellent single varietal red wines respectively in the Triente and Essentija, while the brooding single vineyard S'Arai shows all the concentration of low cropped Cannonau, Carignano and Bovale in a balanced and concentrated wine.

Dolianova

A third visit in the south took me to Dolianova, another coop making strides with zesty Vermentino and bright, juicy Cannonau wines. Best in show here, though, was the Terresicci (left), an intense cherry-ish blend of Barbera Sardo, Syrah and Montepulciano, again revealing Sardinia's broad viticultural heritage.

Gostolai

A long drive north followed into the mountainous interior around Oliena, known locally for Godello and where rocky soils and cold nights can conspire to produce intense, minerally wines. Jesuits first produced wine here in the C15, but the most prominent modern winery is the fledgling Gostolai set up a mere 10 years ago. Cannonau and Vermentino are Gostalai's mainstays, making leaner, tighter wines than their southern counterparts, and there is still some way to go in the vineyards and winery to fully realise the potential here. Bu potential there is, best shown in the Nepente di Oliena VQPRD Cannonau, revealing a mineral-lined complexity with hints of tea and spice on a long finish.

Contini

Backtracking to the Sinis peninsula in the west, on of the islands oldest wineries is Contini with its 110-year legacy of producing wine under its own labels. The usual grape suspects crop up here, along with Nieddera, a local variety that produces a dark-cherry concentrate of a wine, plus a deeply traditional version of Vernaccia aged in a solera system. These wines were a real eye opener, with tangy, nutty, dried fruit characteristics, capped by a stunning number called Flor 22, its solera dating back to 1898 and resembling an old Madeira in taste. Right: Flor growing on the Flor 22.

Gallura

The north-eastern province of Gallura is dubbed 'the land of Vermentino', boasting as separate DOCG for the variety, guaranteeing higher alcohol and, in theory, protecting more of a minerally concentration typically found in the wines. The hulking cooperative of the cantina Gallura at first looked an unprepossessing sort of place but did deliver with wines such as the floral, minerally Genesi which captured the best of this variety. Another surprise find here was a superb Nebbiolo called Dolmen, displaying a perfumed intensity and cherry-edged minerally length.

Sella & Mosca

My final port of call was to Sardinia's best-known estate, the rather grand Sella & Mosca winery just outside the charming Catalan town of Alghero. With 550ha under vine and over 100 years history of exporting Sella & Mosca are by far Sardinia's most prominent and internationally recognised winery with a portfolio of accomplished, international-meets-indigenous wines to match. Encouragingly, varieties such as Torbato, making aromatic floral and creamy fresh white, plus Cannonau are the mainstay of the single varietal and blended wines, while a range of varieties from white Nuragus to Sangiovese and Carignano, plus Cabernet Sauvignon (planted here for over 100 years) complete the picture. The Torbatos are good, not least with the local seafood, and make very pleasant sparkling wine to boot, while the Cabernet-Cannonau Tanca Farra and 100% Cabernet Marchese di Villamarina are outstanding.

As a flagship for Sardinian wine Sella & Mosca can hold its head high. It clearly points the way for the potential of future Sardinian wines, a potential that is increasingly being recognised as other producers raise the quality bar. And, in a world awash with identikit international varieties and styles, Sardinia has much to offer that is individual, indigenous and far from run of the mill. Let's hope we will see more of these wines beyond the emerald shores.

go to Part I, an overview of Sardinia's history, geography and wines.