Surrau - Naracu Cannonau di Sardegna 2023
Price: $21.99
Sardinia, Itay’s second largest island, has been on my bucket list to visit for a long time. The island is a melting pot of Italian and French culture, it’s blessed with some of the most pristine beaches you’ll find anywhere in the Mediterranean, and they produce some amazing wine! Viticulture on this island dates back thousands of years. It’s thought to be the birthplace of both Grenache (Cannonau) and Vermentino too. But its rare that we see the very best wines from Gallura DOCG here in the US.
That is until now… One of my favorite importers put a couple of Vigne Surrau’s wines in a box of samples they sent me this summer with the note “Rich, you have to try these Surrau wines. They’re new to us and incredible.” They weren’t wrong. Next to some top-rated namesake Barolo and Brunello this little Cannonau blew me away. As soon as we finished the bottle we wanted another, but I’ve had to wait for months for it to get here!
The stunning Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) is located on Sardinia’s northeastern corner. Here in the Surrau Valley just 15 minutes drive from the Mediterranean Sea you’ll find Vigne Surrau in the heart of the prestigious Gallura region. The name Gallura means “stony area” which describes the granite heavy soils in which these vines thrive. Naracu Cannonau (named after the Nuraghe fortresses built by ancient civilizations that can be found across Sardinia) comes from 20 year old sustainably farmed vines and is fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness of the fruit. It bursts from the glass with classic Grenache (Cannonau) character, red cherry, plums, and hints of savory herbs. Its reminiscent of the wines of the southern Rhone (which makes sense given the grape) but there’s more vibrancy and minerally freshness than I find in many Rhone reds, and greater complexity too. Medium-bodied, supple and round on the tongue, with velvety tannins and waves of red fruits coating the plate in a juicy nature. I opened up one of our best sellers (Lafage Nicolas), to do a side by side, and shocker I liked the Surrau more! We loved it with a simple butternut squash and sage tagliatelle dish, and this will definitely hold up to richer fare like game meats too.
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