Acclaim

The 2019 Vermentino di Gallura Superiore lifts up with mineral intensity, which gives way to crushed apples and savory herbs. It’s silky in texture, balancing ripe orchard fruits with zesty acids and spice. The cheeks pucker with residual tension as the 2019 tapers off wickedly fresh on a note of sour citrus. — Eric Guido          2021 – 2026

The 2018 Cannonau di Sardegna shows a dusty display of crushed stone and violets, giving way to black currants and savory herbs. Its textures are silky, offset by a more tart display of wild berries, minerals and brisk acids. This tapers off long yet juicy and floral, with just a hint of fine tannin that frames the finish nicely. — Eric Guido               2021 – 2025

Blackberries, violets, peppery florals and hints of mocha reach up from the 2015 Lu Nieddu. This is silky in feel with a mix of red and black fruits, minerals and savory spice. Echoes of licorice and hints of grippy tannins linger, making for a pleasantly dry finale. The Lu Nieddu is a field blend of Cannonau, Caricaggiola, Pascale di Cagliari, Dolcetto, Barbera and Cabernet Franc. — Eric Guido         2021 – 2025

The 2018 755 intrigues the senses with a display of black cherries, raspberries and savory herbs; hints of animal musk and tobacco come forward over time. The textures are silky and polished, offset by mineral-tinged dark red fruits and slow-mounting tannins that collect toward the close. It then tapers off structured and poised under an air of peppery florals and spice. Give this a few years of cellaring to flesh out a bit more. The 755 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Alicante, Cannonau, Carignano and Sangiovese from vines planted in granite soils at an average of 755 meters above sea level. — Eric Guido                           2022 – 2028

The 2019 Vermentino di Sardegna Villa Solais is sweetly perfumed, with dusty florals giving way to crushed stone and hints of nectarine. It’s soft and enveloping, nicely balancing its ripe orchard fruits with energizing acidity and mineral notes. Hints of kiwi and lime zest linger through the clean, refreshing finale. — Eric Guido 2021 – 2024

Sweet and spicy, the 2018 Vermentino di Sardegna Villa Solais keeps you coming back to the glass with its ginger-tinged ripe apple and hints of vanilla bean. This is soft upon entry, yet it quickly gains a salty-savory edginess, as well as notes of zesty green citrus that seem to reverberate on the palate. It tapers off clean with a hint of tropical fruits and florals, making for a fully satisfying experience. — Eric Guido   2021 – 2025

The 2016 Carignano del Sulcis Grotta Rossa presents an intense display of crushed raspberries and allspice balanced by savory notes of wild herbs and flowery undergrowth. It’s soft in texture yet juicy, with espresso-tinged black fruits and hints of dark chocolate. This tapers off to freshness yet still maintains a mocha-cocoa note, along with a trace of tobacco. The Grotta Rossa is oddly enjoyable, reminding me of dark-chocolate-covered coffee beans. — Eric Guido                          2021 – 2024

The 2016 Cannonau di Sardegna Noras is earthy yet understated, with notes of plum, crushed stone, incense and flowery undergrowth. It is silky in texture, energized by vibrant acids and ripe cacao-tinged black fruits that cascade across a mineral core. It tapers off wonderfully fresh, with remnants of blackberry and sweet spices lingering long. The 2016 may not be one for the cellar, but it sure is showing beautifully today. — Eric Guido                        2021 – 2024

The 2013 Shardana offers a deeply seductive display of wild berries, incense, dusty florals and exotic spices. The textures are silky-smooth, balanced by cool-toned red and black fruits that give way to a more tactile feel as saline-minerals and hints of tannin mount toward the close. Inner violet notes and tart woodland berries linger long through the youthfully structured finale. This blend of old-vine, partly pre-phylloxera Carignano plus a dollop of Syrah is firing on all cylinders. – Eric Guido           2021 – 2027

Black raspberries, crushed violets, exotic spices and hints of cocoa can all be found while swirling the 2015 Carignano del Sulcis Superiore Terre Brune. It’s deep and textural, offering ripe red fruits lifted by brisk acids, and taking on more of a floral persona toward the close, hovering over a layer of round tannins. This is persistent yet youthfully structured, tapering off to notes of mocha and hints of brown sugar. — Eric Guido                     2022 – 2026