Spotlight on: Agricola Punica

Last September I published a piece called “The Wild Wines of Sardinia,” which was inspired by a number of producers and wines that had impressed me from the region. Fast-forward, a year later, and one of those producers has become a staple of the Italian section of my cellar; Agricola Punica.

Carignano grapes on the vine

Agricola Punica is a collaboration of Giacomo Tachis, Tenuta San Guido and Sardinian producer Cantina di Santadi, producing Carignano-based wines in the Sulcis region of Southern Sardinia. Sardinia is an island located 125 miles off the east coast of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a region of Italy that has a very unique climate. In the southwest corner of the Island, it is a perfect environment for the Carignano vine. The winter is mild and wet while the summers are hot and dry, with the scirocco (African winds) blowing across the Sardinian Sea. This mixed with the baking sun allows Carignano to achieve the necessary level of ripeness.

 However, it’s not just the ripe concentration that makes these wines so exciting; instead it’s the amazing balance of concentration and acidity, combined with expert winemaking, which creates wines of elegance and style with a true Italian flair. Both wines are exciting and, sometimes, downright sexy. 

The unique and very affordable Montessu continues to amaze me for the price compared to what’s in the bottle. In the $20 - $25 range, this is a bottle that should be in every Italian wine lover’s cellar. However, it’s the Barrua that has continued to turn my head at each tasting. The Barrua is a single vineyard bottle that’s 85% Carignano with a mix of Cabernet and Merlot. It’s rich, yet spicy, elegant and balanced, with a structure that begs for 3 - 5 years in the cellar.

On to the notes:

2008 Agricola Punica Barrua – The nose showed deep, dark red and blue fruits with hints of herbs. On the palate, it was medium-bodied with great concentration balanced by zesty acidity with red currant and spice. The tannins were present but beautifully integrated with its core of ripe fruit. The finish was long and staining to the palate, as blue and black berry flavors slowly faded away. (93 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

2008 Agricola Punica Montessu – The nose showed intense ripe berries, sweet spices and field herbs. On the palate, it was velvety smooth with mouthwatering acidity and dark brambly fruits. The finish was long yet refreshing. This wine would make a great accompaniment to braised meats and heavy meat sauces. (91 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!




Reference tools:
The official website of Agricola Punica
Agricola Punica at Kobrand Wine and Spirits

An unexpected update: Tenute Dettori, Tenores

Back in September of 2010, my post, “The Wild Wines of Sardinia.” spotlighted a number of the top producers from the region. However, there was one winery that was given its own introduction without any tasting notes, because I had yet to be able to experience the wines myself… until today.

The following is an excerpt from that post:

"...Alessandro Dettori, on the north west of the island. Dettori can easily be compared to Frank Cornelissen of Sicily in his approach to natural winemaking. Refusing to use chemical fertilizers in the field and only a trace of sulfur in the bottles, Dettori believes that wine itself can be made without human intervention and that it is the “winemaking” that should be removed from the process. Dettori uses a number of indigenous grapes, such as Pascale and Monica, to create truly unique Sardinian wines and suggests that bottles should be opened and left to air for hours or even days before enjoying. These are truly wild wines, and although they may not be for everyone, they are worth trying to expand your palate.”

Below is my first, but certainly not my last, experience with the wines of Dettori.

2005 Tenute Dettori Tenores – For three weeks this bottle sat up in my cellar, waiting for the day that I had the time to open it and let it breath for hours before tasting. The day had finally come. At 10am, the cork was popped and the bottle was left until 6pm before the first glass was poured. The color was red in the center, fading to amber and then orange at the rim. The aromas of this wine drew me in with ripe figs, confectioners sugar, leather, potpourri, rock dust and…green olive. I found myself returning to the glass repeatedly for nothing more than another smell. The first sip took me aback, as an intense wave of rich, almost sweet fruit that was suddenly balanced by griping acidity, flowed across my palate. Flavors of blackberry jam, cinnamon stick, red apples and tobacco followed, complementing this wine’s full body and near invisible 16% alcohol. The finish showed mulling spices, which lasted well over a minute. There were times that the Tenores could have been mistaken for an aged Barolo or Burgundy; it’s an absolutely compelling wine. (96 Points)

The Wild Wines of Sardinia

Sardinia (or Sardegna) is an island in every sense of the word. It’s considered part of Italy yet still holds many ties to its past ruler, Spain. Its location puts it just as close to Italy as it does from the northern tip of Africa and the most northeastern tip of Spain. Because of this, the climate is remarkably different from its Italian neighbors across the Tyrrhenian Sea, as well as its soil. And its wines, as they can be thought of as Italian, are quite different and often made from indigenous grapes that are not found on the mainland. In fact, I find it hard to compare the wines of Sardinia to any other wine-growing region that I’ve experienced.

Up until 25 years ago, the wines of Sardinia were created in mass with the intention of making bulk wines or heavily alcoholic, almost sweet wines that would be shipped to the mainland and used for blending purposes. However, as these vast vineyards were uprooted in the ‘80s and a new perspective on modern winemaking was introduced, the slow revitalizing of Sardinia’s winemaking has been underway.

Most notable, of the Sardinian wine-making revolution, was the entrance of Giacomo Tachis, in a joint venture with the makers of Sassicaia (Tuscany) and Santadi of Sardinia to create Agricola Punica. Tachis had come to believe that the Carignan, or Carinena, grape had found its perfect home in the sandy soils of Sardinia. Carignan is not a grape that’s usually associated with fine wine; yet here, it has been turned into something truly special and is absolutely worth seeking out. My experiences with both of the bottles they produce have been eye-opening. The wines are all at once concentrated, vibrant, spicy… in a way… sexy.

Another notable Sardinian winemaker is Attilio Contini, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine producing establishments in Sardinia, is also the producer who first peaked my interests in Sardinian wine. Located in the mid-western part of the Sardinian island and with a full range of indigenous varietals making a very unique set of wines. Their premier bottle, Barrile, which is made from 85% Nieddera, is a wine that maintains almost electric vibrancy while still delivering masses of spicy fruit, dark nuances and details. Not to mention, in recent tastings, my guests have scored it higher than a number of top Italian wines.

Then there's Alessandro Dettori, on the north west of the island. Dettori can easily be compared to Frank Cornelissen of Sicily in his approach to natural winemaking. Refusing to use chemical fertilizers in the field and only a trace of sulfur in the bottles, Dettori believes that wine itself can be made without human intervention and that it is the “winemaking” that should be removed from the process. Dettori uses a number of indigenous grapes, such as Pascale and Monica, to create truly unique Sardinian wines and suggests that bottles should be opened and left to air for hours or even days before enjoying. These are truly wild wines, and although they may not be for everyone, they are worth trying to expand your palate.

On to the notes:

2007 Agricola Punica Montessu Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (60% Carignano - 10% Syrah - 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - 10% Cabernet F - 10% Merlot) - This wine showed a dark purple core, which faded to ruby red around the rim. The nose showed raspberry jam yet also had a sour berry component. Further exploration brought spicy cola and a dark earthiness to the front. On the palate, I found wild berries, which were sour yet soft with allspice and a hint of vanilla. This wine showed impeccable balance that leans toward acidity, which makes it great with or without food. It is modern yet shows a remarkable finesse and a juicy core of fruit. (91 points)

Find this wine on Wine-Searcher!

2004 Agricola Punica Barrua Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (85% Carignano - 10% Cabernet S. - 5% Merlot) - This was a big and brooding wine with confectioners sugar, rich blackberry jam and star anise on the nose. The palate showed sour wild berries at first but gave way to richness and dusty black cherry over time. It was dry yet juicy all at once with a wall of concentration that’s offset by vibrant acidity and faded into a long berry finish. (92 points)

Find this wine on Wine-Searcher!

2001 Attilio Contini Barrile Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (Nieddera) – The Barrile had a dark ruby red color. The aromas wafting up from the glass were amazing and reminded me of a savory, buttery, veal and herb sauce. Digging deeper, the fruit came forward and showed currants and a bit of vanilla. The palate was racy and, dare I say, sexy with a push and pull of tannin verse acidity waging war and revealing black currant, baking spice and black pepper with a long red licorice finish. (93 points)

To Find the wines of Attilio Contini on Wine-Searcher!