TN: Vigne Rada Arsenale Cagnulari Sardinia '18...(short/boring)

WINE TALK
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Tried this new Kermit Lynch wine on Sat night:

  1. Vigne Rada Arsenale DOC: Alghero Cagnulari (13.5%; www.VigneRada.com; KermitLynchImprts/Berkeley) Gino Bardino/Sassari/Sardinia 2018: Very dark color fading towards the edges; strong spicy/grapey/blackberry/black cherry/bit boysenberry bit licorice rather Graciano-like quite aromatic slight earthy/dusty very attractive nose; slightly soft some tangy/tannic strong blackberry/boysenberry/bit licorice/black cherry cola/Graciano-like some earthy/dusty/slight rustic quite structured bit saline/savory some complex flavor w/ ample rather hard/chewey tannins; ; very long/lingering very rich/lush strong spicy/blackberry/boysenberry/black cherry/bit licorice slight RCCola/spicy very light toasty/oak fairly perfumed quite structured rather savory some complex finish w/ ample chewey tannins; better than most Rioja Gracianos and has much more structure & richness; needs 4-10 yrs of age yet; a serious world-class reddoesn’t have the coarse/rustic character on many Sardinian reds; next day it had lost a bit of the Calif-like fruit & showed more tannic/rustic/Sardinian character; a world-class red & a real discovery. $31.50 (KK)

More sardoetsy from TheBloodyPulpit:

  1. Cagnulari is claimed to be a rare grape variety of Sardinia. It is widely accepted to be the same grape variety as Graciano in Rioja, where it is also claimed to have originated there. I was not able the find any DNA evidence that they are one in the same grape. This is a producer I’d never heard of, but his vnyds are in NW Sardinia and the vnyds are along the coast, perched high above the Mediterrean with spectacular views. He also makes a Vermentino that I would love to try.
    I stumbled across this wine last Fri at Kokomans and had no idea where it was from or what it was like. But it was a Kermit Lynch wine which offers some assurance it was good.
    One of my favorite Gracianos is that of LouisaLindquist’s Verdad Wnry in ArroyoGrande. It shows a lot of Graciano perfume, much bigger than most Spanish versions, & not the rusticity those often show. It is a world-class Graciano. When I first smelled & tasted this Cagnulari, it immediately reminded me of Louisa’s Graciano.
    This wine was a real discovery.
    Tom
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Thank you Tom, I appreciate and admire your endless curiosity to explore and try new wines (as well as sharing here)!

I had a 2006 Cherchi Cagnulari four years ago when I had a Sardinian friend over for dinner. I liked it quite a bit, though would probably caught the wine at its peak a year or two earlier, nonetheless it I like the wine a lot as well. Hard to get by in Europe (didn’t see any when I was in Sardinia, or at least I didn’t register seeing the variety anywhere), so I am surprised you found it in the States!

I looked up the variety in the Italian wine bible at that time - native wine grapes of Italy (D’Agata) and remember that Ian found the thought about possible as a theory, however the only study making the link were not published in a peer-reviewed journal. Had to look up for the details for the latter part though. It’s closely related to Bovale Sardo (another local variety) though.

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Anyway, echoing Mikael, thanks for the wonderful notes on wine and wine adjacent. Always interesting to read.

Funnily enough -spent some time in NW Sardinia this year. Alghero happened to be part of Aragon. So in my non-peer reviewed head, Spanish origin or similarity makes sense.

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Not the vineyards but the coast / cliffs are stunning and there are vines everywhere around.

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It’s beautiful Island (one of my favorites in the Mediterranean!) and Alghero is a very pretty town!

I’m glad you’re not in charge of the science department Marcus :joy:

Without trying to attempt to break down the whole section, there is of course more to it. Bovale Sardo which is genetically very closely related and consider a native variety if I recall correctly (without having the book in-front of me) had scientific backing.

It’s also worth remembering that Sardinia is an ancient island, life there didn’t start with the Aragonese. I’m sure you came across Nuraghes while there… I guess that at least 1000-2000 years older and besides many vines originally traveled from east to west.

With technology continuously developing I’m sure we will keep getting new findings and unexpected updates.