I often describe wines as I would people. Some wines are cerebral. Some are handsome. Some are inspiring. And some, like today’s wine, just charm your socks off.
Cardedu’s 2016 Monica di Sardegna had everyone around here buzzing—we were instantly smitten with its pure, unadorned wild berry fruit, its dash of Mediterranean herbs, and its buoyant energy, which did not dissipate over time but rather seemed only to grow. It’s a wine to be enjoyed rather than pondered—something we wine nerds forget sometimes—and it took all of one sip for us to excitedly schedule this offer. As “summer reds” go, I can’t think of a more perfect example: Having multiple lightly chilled bottles of “Praja” on hand is a must for any well-stocked household—and at this price, you can afford to make that happen. That it is also a distinctive wine from an exotic grape and locale is, to me, an incredible bonus. Who’s with me?
The Monica grape is another “only in Italy” special: although it may have been brought to the island from Spain, it has not, as yet, been linked to any varieties going by other names in Spain or elsewhere. Cannonau, Sardinia’s best-known native red, is Grenache, or Garnacha. Monica is just Monica, and while it’s actually very widely cultivated on Sardinia, you won’t find it anywhere else. It’s a grape with a relatively deep, plummy color, soft tannins, medium acidity, and pleasing juiciness: to me, it’s vaguely reminiscent of Gamay from Beaujolais, but with more Mediterranean herbs and florals and a touch less minerality.
Cardedu is a commune in the southeastern Sardinian province of Ogliastra—where, as in pretty much all of Sardinia, rugged Mediterranean beaches give way quickly to rock- and scrub-strewn mountains. Cardedu the ‘brand’ comes from the Alberto Loi family, a long-established, multi-generational private estate with some 50 hectares of vines in the area. Soils are sandy loam over granite, which is a prominent feature on the island: ancient stone dwellings known as nuraghi, dating to the Stone Age, are a Sardinian signature. The Cardedu wines are vinified in a hyper-traditional manner, starting in the dry-farmed (i.e. non-irrigated) vineyards and continuing in the cellar, where ferments are carried out using only native yeast. The only nod to modern technology is the use of temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, which in this wine’s case are used for aging as well.
Hinting at its (possible) Spanish heritage with its fantastic, Basque-looking label, the 2016 “Praja” (Sardinian for “beach”) is not, as I said above, “cerebral.” This is a “grip it and rip it” style of red of the most appealing sort—balanced, refreshing, and sneakily structured, in that it improves and expands with time in the glass. It pours a deep, reflective ruby-purple with magenta highlights at the rim, with aromas that capture every bush-grown berry you can think of: blackberry, raspberry, currant, and even a touch of blueberry meld with scents of aromatic Mediterranean herbs, underbrush, and a hint of meaty savor. Really, though, it’s all about steel-aged fruit purity and freshness—while there’s barely any tannin it still has a structured, focused feel thanks to its bright acidity. I’d say chill a few bottles of this right alongside the beers in your cooler (anywhere from about 45-65 degrees is a great serving temperature) and sip from Burgundy stems, Govinos, jelly jars…whatever. It delivers such pure pleasure you need not overthink it. This alongside some bespoke burgers from my hipster chef buddy
Chris Kronner is you living your best life this summer. You must—must—try this!
