Cagnulari Cherchi 2024

The Sardinian wine Cagnulari is a fine example of how, with passion, work, and effort, one can bring to the attention of consumers indigenous grape varieties that deserve recognition. Obviously, there must be a mind like Giovanni's at the helm, the soul of the Cherchi winery, eager to rediscover and enhance the traditional varieties that best express the local terroir. And here is the Cagnulari grape, which announces itself on the nose with a fruity and floral bouquet, endowed with a good aromatic intensity, and then continues on the palate with a precise and clear sip. A label that deserves more than just a tasting, as evidenced by the good scores it has received nationally from critics.

This Cagnulari is born from the pure use of the homonymous grape. It is an ancient indigenous variety, present in good percentages in the Sassari area, but practically absent in the rest of Sardinia. Giovanni Cherchi, the owner of the winery, has decided to commit to its recovery and enhancement, cultivating it in parcels characterized by a clay and limestone subsoil, located about 200 meters above sea level. After harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then gently pressed and sent for alcoholic fermentation, which takes place, along with malolactic fermentation, in stainless steel containers. The processing ends with aging, carried out both in steel and in oak barrels, for a total of 8 months.

The red Cagnulari signed by Cherchi presents itself to the visual examination with a color reminiscent of ruby, intense and concentrated, with slight shades tending towards purple at the rim. The range of aromas that develops the olfactory profile of this label moves on fruity and floral notes, also enriched by a hint of licorice. On the palate, it is full-bodied, velvety, with a dry and fresh sip, characterized by a fruity flavor; it closes with a finish that has an interesting persistence. A bottle that tells the story of a forgotten grape variety, still capable of giving emotions.