7 of the Best Red Wines From Sardinia
The wines of Sicily are well known, from the Nero d’Avolas and Etna Rossos and Biancos, to the white Grillos and Catarrattos. But the wines of Sardinia, the second-largest Italian island in the Mediterranean, remain relatively obscure.
That should change.
Sardinia, or Sardegna, is a hot, wind-swept place with varied soils conducive to viticulture, including granite, limestone, volcanic matter, clays, sands, and gravels. Despite its arid climate, the vineyards are cooled by the ample winds from the Mediterranean. The wines, both red and white, come in a range of styles and are primarily made with the island’s two leading grapes, the red Cannonau and the white Vermentino.
Cannonau is better known as Grenache or Garnacha and is the dominant variety in the Southern Rhône Valley of France and in Aragón in northeast Spain, its birthplace. Vermentino is grown as well in Italy’s Lazio region, Corsica, and in southern France, where it’s called Rolle.
I’ve long thought that Grenache can have Pinot Noir-like qualities, sometimes producing rather delicate wines that don’t need much oak, and that was the case with some of the Cannonaus I sampled. Others brought to mind Nebbiolos from Piedmont, red Riojas from Spain, and even fruity young Beaujolais from France.
One of the key things about Grenache/Garnacha/Cannonau: If the wines are aged in oak barrels, it must be done with subtlety; too much oak, especially new oak, can overpower the wines.
The wines, especially those based on 100 percent Cannonau, are often relatively light in color (suggesting Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo), but they have concentration and intensity and a kind of “wildness” that is unique. Some are blended with other red varieties grown on the island.
David Lynch and Joe Bastianich, in their book “Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy,” describe Cannonau as “medium-bodied, very similar to Pinot Noir in scale, with flavors of crushed wild berries and cherry kirsch overlain with leathery, herbal notes.” Many of the wines go beyond that description and are worth exploring for their complexity, value, and singularity.
Here are seven of the best red wines from Sardinia:
Cardedu ‘Caladu’ Cannonau di Sardegna 2020
This fruit-driven, softly tannic wine shows ripe strawberry and plum flavors punctuated by a hint of forest floor. The grapes are grown organically in granitic soils, and the wine shows fresh acidity. Aging takes place in cement tanks without exposure to oak.
Price: $17
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Surrau ‘Naracu’ Cannonau di Sardegna 2023
Substitute this wine for a Barolo, and you’ll save big bucks. Aromas and flavors of blueberry, spicy cherry, and raspberry are accented by touches of cigar box, baking spices, vanilla, and a mineral note.
Price: $17
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Pedra Niedda ‘Básca’ Cannonau di Sardegna 2021
You’ll be struck by the light color of this wine, but that masks its intensity, with flavors of over-ripe raspberry, spicy cherry, and a good deal of vanilla, though most of the wine is aged in stainless-steel tanks. There’s a stony minerality, and lively acidity balances the 14.5 percent ABV.
Price: $21
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Contini ‘Sartiglia’ Cannonau di Sardegna 2022
Made from 90 percent or more of Cannonau along with Bovale (Carignan) and Nieddera, a local variety that produces dark-colored wine, this wine shows red and dark berry flavors accented by espresso and powdered cocoa notes, wild herbs, and minerals. The grapes are grown in volcanic soils and the wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel and used oak barrels.
Price: $18
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Surrau ‘Surrau’ Isola dei Nuraghi 2020
Another wine from Surrau, with Cannonau only 30 percent of the blend, Carignan 60 percent, and 10 percent Bovale Sardo, also called Graciano, which is more commonly found in Spain’s Rioja. Relatively soft and approachable, the wine shows red fruits at first, then darker berry notes as it opens up. There are touches of coffee bean, cedar, and braised meat.
Price: $39
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Argiolas ‘Turriga’ Isola dei Nuraghi 2020
One of the most iconic red wines from Sardinia, Turriga is a blend of 85 percent Cannonau, 5 percent Carignan, 5 percent Bovale Sardo, and 5 percent Malvasia Nera. It received 20 months of aging in oak barrels and cement vats, then another year in bottle. The wine shows blackberry and other brambly dark fruit notes punctuated by herbs and supported by a firm tannin structure. It will continue to develop and age for years.
Price: $76
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Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2020
This under-$15 bargain has aromas of dark berries and violets, foreshadowing spicy blueberry and cassis flavors with hints of balsamic and baking spices. A consistent value and widely available Cannonau benchmark.
Price: $14
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