Chessa, Cagnulari, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia 2020 (14%)

cantinechessa.it $30 Solano Cellars, The Wine Connection

The varietal overlap between Sardinia and Spain is a fascinating story in its own right, and too complicated a matter to discuss here. What we do have the space to say, though, is that this Cagnulari (the same variety as Spain’s Graciano) achieves an aromatic poise and lively complexity on the palate that many in Spain would envy. It’s dark black-red in colour, and the scents may remind you of forest resins and oily Mediterranean scrub leaves, with a quiet, beefy undertow of dense black fruits. As in Spain, the wine is vital and bright on the palate, and more of those resins and scrub plants lend a haunting, perfumed austerity to the bright fruits. Clearly a wonderful variety to use here for the warmer years to come.

‘It’s a wine that steals your heart and lingers in your mind,’ suggests Cantine Chessa’s owner Giovanna Chessa, who has endured a fractious relationship with the capricious Cagnulari grape.

‘I have had numerous confrontations with Cagnulari, mostly during my earlier years of work,’ explains Chessa. ‘The very first vintages helped me to study it, while during the following ones I learned how to interpret it.’

Ancient and rare, Cagnulari almost slipped into extinction only a few years ago, but it was saved by a band of intrepid winemakers.

Chessa’s family has been wedded to winemaking for more than 70 years and after dabbling in law for a few years she, in her own words, ‘claimed back my story; a story made of vines, grandparents and parents, made of fatigue, passion, tradition and culture’.

She continues: ‘Cagnulari today expresses its strong and decisive character, its complexity and daring personality. It represents the Sardinian land: wild yet hospitable, fascinating, and with vibrant colours and perfumes. Over the years, it has demanded my attention and my constant commitment. But all the effort has been repaid.’