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Sardinia DOC's: The Red Wines

Written By: Dylan York on Monday, February 11, 2008

Follow Dylan York around the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea as he takes on Sardinia's Red Wines.

Sardinia is home to an interesting mix of ancient and other international varieties. If you enjoy wines from the south of France and in the southern parts of Spain then you will certainly love Sardinian wines. Even though Sardinia is considered an Italian territory, most of its traditions and culture are from Spain, more specifically from Catalonia. You will notice that grape varieties like Carignan, Monastrell, and Grenache are grown in Sardinia but go by different names. There are also traces of Sangiovese and Cabernet grown on the island as well along with some ancient varieties. Once you learn what variety is grown in which DOC, it may be easier to choose one that is right for you. These are some of the interesting red wines that I learned about in my research on Sardinia.

One of the most up and coming areas for red wine is Carignano di Sulcis DOC, where Carignan is the main variety. Wines from this area are dark, intense and full bodied and could use 30 minutes of decanting. Try wines from Cantina Santadi.

If you want something a little more dense and dry then try a wine from either Campidano di Terralba DOC or Mandrolisai DOC, where the thick, inky black grape of Bovale di Spagna dominates the blends. This varietal is thought to be a clone or close relative to another varietal called Muristellu or Mourvedre. Consult your local Italian wine shop to find these wines.

Another very popular red in Sardinia is Cannonau di Sardegna DOC. Cannonau is another name for Grenache. Cannonau was thought to have been brought to the island by the Spanish in the 14th Century. Today one of the best interpretations of this grape is a wine called Turriga, made by Argiolas in the southern vineyards of Cagliari. It's a little expensive but well worth it.

If you enjoy lighter wines with more earthy and gamey flavors, try wines from Monica di Sardegna DOC or Monica di Cagliari DOC. In both areas Monica is the main variety. Monica di Sardegna means the grapes can come from anywhere on the island, Monica di Cagliari refers to grapes only from the southern portion of the island in the provinces of Cagliari and southern Oristano. These wines are somewhat rustic and should be consumed when they are young and fresh. Cantina Dolianova makes a good inexpensive Monica di Sardegna DOC.

Other varieties that you may know like Sangiovese and Cabernet are found in the Alghero DOC, but they tend to be lack-luster and not worth the time. This area makes up over 40% of the total production of wine in Sardinia. Wines from this area will have the varietal on the label and must contain at least 85% of it. Personally I would stick to the areas that I mentioned earlier because this area does not concentrate on quality as much as the others. There is one interesting ancient varietal, Cagnulari, which can be found in small quantities in the northwest part of the island. This is one of the few varieties that may actually be indigenous to Sardinia and I am always interested in trying the forgotten grapes. If you find one you like please leave a comment on this blog. Enjoy Tasting!

Further Note: To fully inform the readers there are also 15 other areas classified under IGT (Equivalent to Vins du Pays in France, and one step below DOC) in Sardinia. IGT laws are less strict than DOC in the areas of yield and quality. However, there are always good wines in the IGT category, you just have to look a little harder.

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