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The Soul of Sardinia
Dec 30, 2014

Arrival: An Immersion of Wine, Food & Culture

Sardinia, Google Map
It’s difficult to be enthusiastic about getting on a bus for a two-hour drive to visit a winery after nearly
20 hours in transit from across the world.
Especially when a shower and a nap seemed the most civilized route to take.
From Vancouver I flew to Toronto where I took a train from terminal one to three and boarded an Alitalia flight to Rome. Upon arrival I again changed terminals and was directed to my next flight, to Alghero, on the northwestern side of the island of Sardinia.
It was a balmy 27 degrees and I was overdressed.

It was a quick hour long flight, across the Tyrrhenian Sea.
A driver was waiting and away I went to Cantina de Gallura, mid-way across the island in the hill town of Tempio-Pausania, where the winery’s Director of Enology waited.
My education on Sardinian wine, food and culture was about to begin.
(Map: Google Maps)

Second Wind

The wine world is small.

This is something I have discovered time and again over the years.
You run into people you know all over the world, often completely unexpected. As it turns out, the enologist for this Gallura co-operative, Dino Addis and I had met several years prior, when we were judging wines at VinItaly. My Italian had improved about as much as his English.

Luckily we had a translator.

Cantina Gallura


In Sardinia, although there are a few other white varieties and several other red varieties planted, Vermentino (white variety) and Cannonau (red variety) are by far, the most important.
Vermentino finds its best expression in the granitic soils (photo: above right) of Gallura, the most northerly part of the island in the province of Olbia-Tempio. Meanwhile I was told, Cannonau is best in the south, when planted in sandy soils.

I’ve was not disappointed by the Vermentinos I tasted, unless it seems they have been muddled by oak ageing.
Overall they are pristine, floral, redolent in crisp yet ripe fruits with a seam of minerality and often a hint of the sea’s salinity and a touch of bitter almond. These wines need to be discovered.
As a side note, Vermentino is also known as Favorito, in Piedmont (the next stop on my trip) and Cannonau is the Sardinian name for Grenache or Garnacha. Long one of my favourite varieties, the cooler granite soils of Gallura showcase the pure fruit expression of this pretty variety – and the acidity is extremely attractive.

That first stop at Cantina Gallura was the eye opener.
I’d tasted these two Sardinian varieties before, but there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years - you don’t really know them at all until you’ve physically seen where they’ve come from.

Wine:
The entry level Vermentino di Gallura DOCG (Vermentino is the only DOCG here) Piras was as fragrant as expected, crisp fruit, honey, saline, mineral and citrus with plenty of floral notes to support it.
In the blink of an eye (or the first whiff) my exhaustion was gone and I welcomed a second wind.
Next came Gemellae Superiore “Canayli” 2012 even more complex and intriguing, the superiore wines are the top tier of Vermentino DOCG. It showed dominant floral notes highlighted with pine, saline and tropical fruits. The palate was zesty and substantial with good length.
Next yet, the “Genesi” Vermentino di Gallura Superiore is a wine that will benefit from decanting. It shows its age and oak contact has given it a spicy character with honey and caramel and flavours of saline and wild herbs. It has an oxidized character that some will appreciate more than others.
Finally, the Zivula Moscato 2011 Passito (dried grapes) with barrique age was apricot in colour with Muscat notes, honey and orange peel with sweet vanilla and peach jam rounded out with Mediterranean garrigue – called macchia in Italy.
Macchia is a fragrant combination of indigenous plants: mirto (myrtle), ginepro and corbezzolo (small spiky skinned tree fruits that go from green to yellow to orange and ripen to red).

A 20-Course Sardinian Dinner


Dinner that night began around nine pm. It was at a local restaurant in Tempio-Pausania. It looked like a family restaurant and with it being Sunday night there were large tables gathered over long, late dinners.
The restaurant Hotel Ristorante Bar Pizzeria, Il Melograno da Claudio, despite its simple demeanor turned out to be an incredible experience, a showcase of classic Sardinia dishes.
These dishes included plenty of traditional Sardinian flatbread called pane carasau, cracker thin and equally crisp, it is found at every table and in every tasting room. Another version topped with olive oil, salt and rosemary called pane guttiau was even more delicious. A wheel of Pecorino de Sardo with chipped shards was served with multiple types of local jam and a delicious spreadable cream cheese made from shee'ps milk (I purchased two jars, which came home with me).
Layer upon layer of seafood, local mushrooms, pizza, cheese, salami and crisp vegetables rolled out of the kitchen. The table was overflowing with plates and dishes, the servers spooning up additional delicacies to the increasingly awed and waistline-expanding guests.

Tony Aspler did a wonderful job of capturing some of the dishes from that night...
 

“We started with a magnum of Gallura Brut 2011 (Vermentino), a Charmat sparkler. All the dishes included the local flat bread called carasau, very thin and crisp. A variation is made with olive oil and rosemary. We started with wild boar prosciutto on carasau, followed by orata (sea bream) marinated in almond milk with myrtle berries and red pepper corns. Then the dishes kept arriving: oysters, swordfish carpaccio, tuna tartar with black mushrooms, shrimps, botago salad, razor clams, marinated calamari, fregole pasta with clams and artichokes and powdered fish roe and a plate of octopus.

Then a whole dorade baked in salt and delivered flaming to the table. The accompanying wines: Cantina Gallura Vermentino Canayli 2013, Genesi Vermentino 2013 in magnum, Balanjana Bianco Colli del Limbara Vermentino 2010 (wood aged). With a dessert of baked goods, Cantina Gallura Moscato di Tempio Spumante. Finally, a digestif, Mirto di Sardegna Tremontis Liqueur and grappa. Got to the hotel in Olbia (called Hotel For You) to check in at midnight.”
 

A Fresh Start


The next morning, somehow, I was able to rise early enough for a short run from Hotel For You out along the naval port before a quick
trip to the outskirts of Olbia found me at Cantina delle Vigne di Piero Mancini – a company established in 1965 by Piero Mancini.
 

Piero Mancini


Alessandro, Piero’s son, now runs the business and greeted us for a short tour of the winery and a tasting.
Piero Mancini was a dentist with a passion for wine and vineyards but sold his grapes to the co-operative rather than bottle his own wine. Alessandro (right) convinced his father to change directions in 1987 and they built the winery in 1989.

alessandro mancini, Piero manciniThey use 80% estate fruit in their wines and produce 1,300,000 bottles per year. Exports are only 10% of the total production and 70% of the production is white wine. Grape varieties include: Vermentino, Chardonnay, Muscato (whites) Cannonau, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir (reds).

Wine:
I tasted the Piero Mancini Vermentino di Sardegna, 2013 a straightforward and citrusy white with mineral, lemon and bitter almond flavours rounded out with a zesty finish.

The Vermentino Superiore DOCG ‘Cucaione’ 2013 showed more complexity and weight with tangy fruit and an oily texture.

Mancini Primo Vermentio di Gallura DOCG Superiore, 2013 was aged (20%) for 4-5 months in older French barriques. Richer on the palate due to the aging it follows similar mineral, bitter almond, lemon, floral and piero manciniwhite grapefruit characters. The charmat sparkler, Vermantino di Gallura is a spumante with good freshness, floral and citrus notes followed by a zesty palate. The 12 grams per liter residual sugar surprised me, the lively acidity of the Vermentino balanced it nicely.

Piero Mancini Monica di Sardegna, 2012 gave me my first taste of this other red Sardinian variety. Black raspberry, purple wild berries and sweet spices gave way to a rustic palate. It’s a country wine, made for food and it paired well with the pecorino cheese served alongside.


Piero Mancini ‘Falcate’ Cannonau di Sardegna, 2013 had been aged 6 months in large barrique had a slightly rusty colour with lovely floral and wild purple fruits on the nose. Fine toasted spices and cocoa rounded out this juicy and exuberant red.
Finally, alongside a perfect selection of almond (amaretti) biscuits, the Cucaione Moscato di Sardegna 2014 was a fresh and lively offering with white raisins, stone fruits, honey and citrus peel flavours.
 

Cantina Pedres


My next stop was at Cantina Pedres, just down the road in Olbia.
A family run winery, also of the name, Mancini, I was greeted at Cantina Pedres by Giovanni Mancini his wife and daughter. Pedres owns 45-hectares of estate vineyards and the company is a
family effort, which also includes Mancini’s two sons.
Cantine PedresThey produce two levels of wine, classic and elite, which consist of Vermentino, Cannonau, Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Roughly 40% of their production goes to export.

Pedras Brut Vino Spumante is a charmat sparkling made from 100% Gallura Vermentino. It is a charming fresh and floral wine with hints of tropical fruits, honey and mineral.

Pedras Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore, 2013 led with tropical fruits, pretty floral, honey and citrus peel. It has a creamy weight and attractive bitter almond finish. Very nice focus and pristine character.

Pedras Cannonau di Sardegna, 2012 offered espresso, wild purple berries, chocolate, leather and sweet spices. On the palate, excellent acidity, fleshy berry flavours, tobacco and spicebox with fine, textural tannins across the palate. It is also excellent with pasta pomodoro.

Pedras ‘Muros Colli del Limbara’ IGT, 2012 is a four-variety blend (Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet and Sangiovese) from estate Gallura vineyards. Very good complexity here, with a certain firmness and notes of leather, black fruits, mocha and spice. It has time yet; it’s still quite youthful but has very good balance and structure. Good with roasted meats but equally tasty with penne pomodoro and firm cheeses.


A Diversion on the Emerald CoastCosta Smeralda, Sardinia


Later, a lovely drive along the north east coast of Sardinia, from Olbia along the 20 kilometer stretch of the Costa Smeralda (emerald coast) to the winter-vacant village of Porto Cervo, where the uber wealthy play had me refreshed.
My journey continued and as day turned to night I arrived at my destination, inland from the sea, about one hour north of Olbia, the Gallura-based Vigne Surrau.

Sociatà Agricola SurrauCantine Surrau Vigne


Deemed a “place where art would merge with nature”, the Surrau estate (named for a nearby valley) is home to an incredibly modern inspired space. It is a stunning place to dine, shop, taste wine and a view artworks in the attached gallery. The winery below can be viewed from the tasting room and in the summer months, movies are played under the stars between winery and vines.
Surrau Vigne, Sardinia, GalluraConstruction began in 2000 and in 2009 the new tasting room/gallery was completed, an homage to tradition with a contemporary twist. It was designed to tap into the local resort tourism - a playground for the wealthy.
They have 58 hectares, 40 of those under vine and currently see roughly 15,000 visitors per year. Surrau is a family owned estate producing 300,000 bottles annually (a capacity for double that) of which 60% is white wine (Vermentino) and they export all over the world.

Surrau, bresaola, SardiniaDinner: Pane guttiau, fresh creamy mozzarella, tomato and basil caprese salad was followed by rolled bresaola (thinly sliced, dried and cured beef) atop arugula, ricotta and lemon zest stuffed ravioli topped in a rich pomodoro sauce followed by ricotta topped in local honey (below right), a platter of Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese and a selection of traditional amaretti cookies.

Wines:
Surrau Branu Vermentino DOCG, 2013 was a delightful, fresh and wonderfully quaffable style. Pristine fruit, wildflowers and honey on the nose translated to equally fresh tropical, citrus and mineral flavours. Bright and lively.
Surrau Sciala Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG 2013 is a step up in price and complexity with a honeyed nose and richer character.
caprese salad, cantine Surrau,SardiniaFocused and more dense than the first style it needs coaxing to express itself. Five months of lees stirring lends it the richer mouthfeel, but somehow I feel it loses its vibrancy.
Surrau Sciala Late Harvest DOCG, 2013 takes that wine to the next level with a late harvest, which means the fruit has intensified on the vine. One half was fermented in stainless steel and the other half in barrique. After fermentation, both halves were combined and lees stirred commenced, creating a honeyed, tropical fruit laden and oxidized wine that is quite potent, complex and lengthy. A sweet wine with 79 grams per liter residual sugar.
Surrau ‘Sincaru’ Cannonau DOC, 2012 is a delight of roses and violets, raspberry and wild summer berries, sweet spice, licorice and vanilla. It is feminine and floral with high-toned fruit and wonderful purity in the mouth. Tealeaf and Szechuan peppercorn flavours trail on the finish.
Surrau, Sardinia, Pecorino di SardoSurrau Isola de Nuraghi IGT, 2012 is a blend of Cannonau, Muristellu, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a rustic wine, quite earthy and smoked but still delivers ripe sweet blueberry and raspberry alongside espresso. The palate entry is sweet but it has more structure and complexity than the singular Cannonau. A muscular wine but one well balanced.
The top tier Surrau ‘Barriu’ Isola de Nuraghi, 2012 is also a blend of Cannonau, Muristellu, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon (30/10/30/30). It is made in a ripasso style and offers notes of prunes, dried cherry, intense coffee and dark chocolate atop a meaty and savoury core. Expect a concentrated and powerful wine in the mouth with extracted flavours of dried fruits and dark mocha. Good acidity keeps the balance in check. The tannins are still firm and lend a textural element across the palate.
Surrau, Ricotta, SardiniaVermentino DOCG Passito, 2013 is made with dried grapes, which lend it the intense aromas and flavours of honey, dried apricots, toffee. Bright acidity keeps it on course and very enjoyable with amaretti.
Cannonau Passito IGT, 2013, also made with dried grapes presents rich dried cherry and purple berries, coffee and sweet spice with dried floral notes.

 

From East, Back to West



Cantine Sella & Mosca


Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, CampariFounded in 1899 by a Piedmont family who came to Sardinia on holiday, the Sella & Mosca estate was a barren and rocky farm that had to be reclaimed. Calling themselves" Sardinia's foremost wine producer", seems on-point as they were the most vast and  impressive producer I visited on the Island.
Located near the city of Alghero (northwestern Sardinia), the 650-hectare estate is home to one of Europe’s largest vineyards at 520-hectares in size.

Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, CampariIn order to maximize the capacity and quality of the wines, they built the estate (right) as a small village for those who worked here - it had a school, homes and a church. It was a self-sustaining farm with wheat, vegetables and animals and a vine nursery. Today, only two families live on the estate but they produce seven million bottles per year and it is home to a museum filled with religious and winemaking artifacts as well as sculptures found on the estate. The winery is now part of the Campari group, since 2002.
Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, Campari, torbato vinesThere is a diversity of soils on the property - clay, volcanic, sandstone and limestone and the main varieties are Vermentino, Carignan and Cannonau with the rare Torbato (Catalonian variety) vines grown here and no where else in Sardinia. It is a hot location, assisted by the cooling mistrals off the ocean, but inevitably the wines get very ripe here.

Lunch:
Sella & Mosca Sparkling Torboto (fresh, fruity, floral and bubbly) was served before we sat down with delicious breaded and deep fried eggplant 'melanzane' slices.
A spinach and Renetta apple salad with walnuts was followed by' culurgiones', a typical Sardinian ravioli filled with potatoes, cheese and mint topped with a basil and tomato pomodoro sauce.
Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, CampariNext, baked sea bream 'parago' was served with potatoes and seasonal baked vegetables followed by local Sardinian sheep’s milk cheeses' pecorini Sardi' and a pine nut tart 'tarta ai pinoli'.

Wines:
Sella & Mosca 'La Cala' Vermentio di Sardegna, 2013
offered bright grapefruit, crisp white fruits and a hint of white pepper and fleur de sel. Crisp and fresh, a  straightforward quaffer or pair with starters, seafood or the spinach and apple salad (right) served to us.

Sella & Mosca 'Raim', 2010 from the Isola del Nuraghi this Catalan variety Raim offered juciy and sweet cherry, vanilla, baking spices and tobacco. The palate is more textural and rustic.
Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, Campari, Vermentino, La CalaA straightforward red with good acidity to pair with food.

Sella & Mosca 'Terre Rare' Carignano del Sulcis DOC, 2011 is barrique aged and offered floral notes alongside purple berries, vanilla, sweet spices and pepper. Great balance here and very food length with a classic Sardinian saline character on the finish.

Sella & Mosca 'Terre Rare' Carignano del Sulcis DOC Riserva, 2009 Must be aged at least two years before resting in bottle for 60 days. More restaraint and savoury notes on this wine include farmyard, cigar, leather, brown spices. Rested in 50% new oak, it is a fresh wine but with a continuing cigarbox finish.

Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, Campari, ravioli pomodoroSella & Mosca Cannonau Riserva, 2010 - A standout, this wine must be aged two years minimum and at least 6 months of that in barrel and bottle. New oak is not favoured in Cannonau as it overwhelms the fruit. Notes of crushed violets, raspberry and myrtle (Mediterranean "macchia"). It is a complex and balanced, fresh and pretty wine with elegant tannins.

Sella & Mosca 'Capocaccia' Alghero Rosso, 2010 - that Sardinian saltiness comes through in this blend of Cabernet and Cannonau. A nose of cherry, macchia, violets and black raspberry lead to a bright, spicy palate with structure and restaraint. Finessed finish.

Sella & Mosca 'Marchesi di Villamarina', 2009 is made from 100% estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, Campari, Marchese di Villamariahas exceptional character with classic
Cabernet qualities. Leather and earth, cassis liqueur, roasted bell peppers, plenty of toasted brown spice and a dash of fleur de sel. Excellent structure with smooth tannins and flavours of cocoa and balsamic on the finish.

I also tasted a Monica di Sardegna 'Ancino M, 2013, which was lit up with notes of cherry cough drops, chocolate, cola spices and loads of wild purple flowers and purple berries rounded out with clove. Textural and earthy with a sweet and spicy finish alongside bittersweet mocha.

The Vermentino di Sardegna 2013 frizzante was minerally and zesty with crunchy white fruits, wild flowers and honey.Sella & Mosca, Sardinia, Alghero, Campari, pinoli, pine nut tart


The Journey Continues


Morning came early.
A 5:30 departure had me back at the Alghero airport enroute to Milan.
Next stop, Piedmont.


What Else I Discovered

Sardinia is the second largest island (after Sicily) in the Mediterranean. It has a population of 1,600,000 and encompasses roughly 24,000 square kilometers with 1900 kilometers of coastline, which is home to an endless selection of beaches.
Not only does Sardinia have fantastic beaches but they have cork trees that produce exceptional quality cork. Few producers use the Sardinian cork for wine, as it’s very expensive. I did see a lot of dishes and artisanal pieces made from the local cork though. There is expansive Mediterranean influence from all directions in Sardinia – the influence in not strictly Italian. There seems to be artistic influences from Africa as well as threads of culture, vegetation, cuisine and grape varieties from Italy, Spain and France. Specifically the vegetation, so unique, called macchia is a fragrant combination of indigenous Mediterranean plants: mirto (myrtle), ginepro and corbezzolo (small spiky skinned tree fruits that go from green to yellow to orange and ripen to red).
Combined,all these nuances make up an entirely unique place, an island called Sardegna.

~Daenna Van Mulligen




 

 

WineDiva.ca was launched prior to WineScores, in February 2004. WineDiva is the alter ego of Daenna Van Mulligen. She wears a cork tiara and is proof that a girl can have her w(h)ine and drink it too! WineDiva.ca is a tongue-in-cheek approach to a very serious passion for all things wine. WineDiva’s goal is to make wine fun, subtly educational & deviously inspirational. Vintage reciting wine snobs need not apply. WineDiva is painting the wine world pink and drinking it all in, and her glass is always (at least) half-full.

WineScores is the more serious follow up to WineDiva.ca. WineScores was born from the demand to see wine writer Daenna Van Mulligen provide scores on her wine reviews. These are numerical scores based on a 100 point scale – an internationally recognized form of rating wines. These numbers provide a snapshot for consumers on how the wine reviewer views the overall quality of the wine. For more information on scoring wine, go to “about”.

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