2019 Agricola Punica, Barrua, IGT Rosso, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia, Italy.
The Punica Barrua is dark and luxurious on the all bodied palate with rich layers of earthy blueberry, dark berry, currant and plum fruits, along with spicy tobacco, mocha, anise and delicate florals that all come together nicely and framed by some toast wood notes. This wine is very different than most Sardinian wines and more international in style, but still very delicious and rewarding. “Barrua” is the name of the vineyard parcel within the Sulcis Iglesente region in southwest Sardinia, an area that is dominated by Carignano, an indigenous grape, not related to Carignan, that is known for its elegant and velvety tannins, but AgriPunica, as it is known, also has Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot here. Because of its relationship to Sassicaia, the Burrua is called a Super Sardinian (like Super Tuscan) with the addition of the international grape varietals. The all hand harvested and 100% de-stemmed grapes undergo a temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, with 15 days on the skins, with each varietal vinified separately. After which the wine is pressed and racked to French oak barriques, with 40% new oak and 60% in second passage barrels, all with a sweet medium toast. The wine ages in the wood for about 18 months, then it is blended, then it rests for over a month in cement tanks, then bottled. The finished Barrua was then held n bottle for another 6 full months before release, making sure all the flavors have come to life and that it shows its full dimension and range. The winery says that final composition varies each year based on the specific conditions of each vintage, and for this 2019, there was 85% Carignano, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and just 5% Merlot.
The Barrua, by AgriPunica, is the Sardinian project from the team at historic Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, makers of Sassicaia, and Sardinian winery Cantina di Santadi, with royalty of Italian enology, the late Giacomo Tachis, overseeing the winemaking here. The blend, mostly Carignano, along with small parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, was first conceived back in 2002 by an all star team of winemakers. The Agricola Punica, or AgriPunica, as noted, winery, has about 170 hectares in Basso Sulcis, located in the southwest of Sardinia, and their vineyards are all in within the Carignano del Sulcis DOC area, but the main wines label as I.G.T. Rossos, of Isola dei Nuraghi, which is, the winery explains, a reference to the stone pillars that dot the landscape from the Nuragic civilization from the Neolithic age. The actual Barrua vineyard is located inland from the coast and grows a mix of red varietals, these include Carignano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The terroir here is unique with a combination of clay and sandy calcareous soils and there’s plenty of sun, as expected on a Mediterranean Island with hot Summer days, with a warm African wind, known as the Scirocco, that blows constantly here. The winery adds, that Luckily the sea mitigates the hot breezes and balances to climate, for nearly perfect ripening conditions, especially for these powerful dark wines. While Barrua is the Grand Vin of the estate, there’s also a second red wine here, the “Montessu” Isola dei Nuraghi IGT Rosso, made from, again, mainly Carignano, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah, that is aged just 12 months in barrel, which is also a wine to look for, along with the White “Samas” that is concrete raised Vermentino and Chardonnay.
($40 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive