L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano The enigmatic, beating heart of Carignano del Sulcis I traveled as a guest of Con sorzio Carignano del Sulcis on an educational press trip to experience the Carignano wines of Sardegna's Sulcis region. Although I had many times tasted and enjoyed these wines, I would come to learn that four words held the key to better un- derstanding them. You might think that to under- stand Carignano del Sulcis wines, one could simply pour some into a glass and have a taste.But, you'd be wrong. Tasting alone doesn't capture it. To experience something that extends beyond taste, to feel the enigmatic, beating heart of Cari- gnano del Sulcis, is to understand the appellation in the context of four words: sun, sand, salt, Sci- rocco. One doesn't need to travel far or long in the region before con- cluding that the Sulcis sun is both tireless and intense. Light-colo- red, sandy soils reflect the already strong sunlight back at Carignano vines for intensified effect. It is the amount and qua- lity of Sulcis sunlight that is perhaps the most influencing fac- tor to the zone's Carignano clu- sters reaching optimal ripeness as they do, contributing to their high quality fruit and the richness of flavor achieved in Carignano wines produced in the region. Adding to the region's heat are Scirocco winds that blow from Africa and across the Medi- terranean Sea into Sardegna's southwest corner where the Sul- cis area is located. Here, winds act as important protectors of vine health, providing all impor- tant drying to counter moisture and humidity that, if left unchecked, could lead Carigna- no's tight clusters to disease. The surrounding sea is announced by a seemingly ever- present scent of saline hanging in the Sulcis air – sometimes mixed with the perfume of Mediterra- nean herbs growing wild on hill- sides – providing unforgettable sensorial information that can be detected in Sulcis' Carignano wines. The sea, a powerful mode- rator of the region's heat, plays no small role in bringing a spe- cial and unique equilibrium to Sulcis climatic conditions. But, it is the sandy, Sulcis soil which allows ungrafted Carigna- no vines an opportunity to grow old and safe from phylloxera, a grapevine pest. Phylloxera, I am told, cannot crawl well in the loose, sandy soil. In fact, Cari- gnano vines trained in the bush or alberello style – a training technique employed to deal with the area's extreme climatic con- ditions – can reach to 50, 80, even 100 plus years old in Sarde- gna's Sulcis. As poor, sandy soils induce a state of restricted vigor in the vines, and old vines have naturally reduced yields, vine nutritional energies are directed to fewer grapes resulting in improved flavor concentra- tion. While traveling in the region, I found Carignano del Sulcis wines I tasted to be wines of har- mony and showing a remarkable richness of flavor, well-structu- red wines capable of smoothness, finesse and elegance. Anyone who appreciates the craftsman- ship of Burgundian wines, the aromatics and flavors that recall wines of southern France, the intensity of Super Tuscans, or the power of California Caber- net, will find something to love about Carignano del Sulcis. And I might add to that, anyo- ne who appreciates value. Cari- gnano del Sulcis brings to the market one of the best quality to price ratios in Italian wine today. It must be said, though, that Carignano del Sulcis is not sim- ply a metaphor for wines of more famous appellations. Like the landscape from which they come, there is something myste- rious about Carignano del Sulcis wines, a wildness that thrills, an element of personality that is uni- quely, deliciously Sardinian. Most of the Carignano del Sulcis wines that I have tasted would typically be best enjoyed in the short to middle term, say, within five years of vintage. However, I have, too, encounte- red an impressive example or two of older Carignano del Sulcis wines eight or ten years from vintage that were drinking super- bly. You don't need to travel to Sardegna to enjoy Carignano del Sulcis. But, by understanding something of the incredibly uni- que Sulcis terroir and the influen- ces of sun, sand, salt and sciroc- co, you are fully prepared – from the rim of your wine glass – to gain a deeper understanding of how environment and vine united to create a very particular identity for Carignano del Sulcis. And to experience the ability of Carigna- no del Sulcis wines to convey aromas and flavors of the absolu- tely fascinating Sulcis terroir. Recommended producers include: AgriPunica, Calasetta, Mesa, Santadi, Sardus Pater. Enjoy Carignano del Sulcis with roasted or braised red meats, suckling pig, game, matu- re cheeses. Tasting Note Santadi Rocca Rubia Carigna- no del Sulcis Riserva DOC Deep crimson color, intense and fruity, the wine shows com- plex aromas and flavors of black berry fruits, Mediterranean herbs, anise, leather and spice. Well-structured, generous and lush on the palate, a tactile sense of crushed velvet leads into a long, persistent finish. WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018 The sandy Sulcis soil allow ungrafted Carignano vines to grow old and safe from phylloxera Carignano del Sulcis is good with roasted or braised red meats, suckling pig, game and mature cheeses

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