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More Than a Certification, It’s a Way of Life

Tenute Dettori
Renosu
Triple “A” Agricoltori Artigiani Artisti
Vermentino, Moscato di Sennori
Organic, biodynamic hand harvested, and spontaneous fermentation
Sennori (SS), Romangia, Sardinia, Italy
Winemaker: Alessandro Dettori

As Spandau Ballet would say, “Gold!” Greeting my nose are flowers, spice and everything nice…ok here’s breaking it down…butterfly lilacs, pear, orange/tangerine zest, smidge of nutmeg, slate and salt. Sip away and there’s pear with sweet apple mellow, peaches, light honey, mango, lychee, nectarine, lemon, orange zest, salty dryness, and a touch of light funk in the back. Keep letting it shake the chill off and then you get a glassful of the nectar of the gods – ambrosia (not that 70s crap from family Christmas gatherings).

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: just don’t do it

While absorbing all the info about Dettori (from their own words), I came across, “They are not wines that are slaves to business logic and marketing strategies.” Alessandro’s wines are full of freedom, life, and in this Renosu’s case…“Triple ‘A’”, in which the winemaker needs these three points: be a pure farmer, utilize artisanal methods, and be artistic. You have to be hands off, as natural as the day you or the grape was born, absolutely no chemicals in the vineyard and the cellar, only indigenous yeasts, and the list goes on. Essentially be true to the land, the vines, the grapes/wine, and to yourself…and respect all of it. It’s more than a certification, it’s a way of life, inside and outside the bottle.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @artisanalcellars @cheezits #winelife #pairswithcheezits #wine #vino #vin #葡萄酒 #ワイン #cheezit #organic @worldbyglass #wineinfluencer #winestagram #TenuteDettori #Vermentino #MoscatodiSennori #Sennori #Romangia #Sardinia #Italy #TripleA

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Memories of Lives, Memories of Vines

Quartomoro
CRG
Memorie di Vite 2018
Red Wine
100% Carignano
Arborea, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, bush-trained vines, indigenous yeast, unfined and unfiltered
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella and Luciana Baso

Deep ruby with garnet rim. Roses bloom before your nose and as it opens butterfly lilacs, salt/sea breeze, figs, plums, cherries, and balsamic. Ok, maybe I’m crazy but it reminds me a little or Chef Stefano Baldantoni’s balsamic reduction which I am so in love with and could eat a vat. Tasting tart cherry mixed with that lovely balsamic reduction. There’s also blood orange zest, dried figs, dried oregano, salt, dates, and a dark, deep velvety richness. As it continues to grow…sweet, fragrant, smooth fine silk that’s not a princess…it’s a regal, rich, well dressed queen that in the end is draped in heavy tapestry garments.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: sweet and smooth

When we can travel again, my frequent flier points are definitely leaning toward Italy (sorry Spain even though you know how much I love you). How many Sardinian wines (this is my 4th Quartomoro) have I fallen for and this 100% Carignano really pulls me. I have a huge thing for Carignano from being at times a blending grape to an elevation and respect of a solo, which is what Piero and Luciana are doing with their Memorie di Vite project. This grape is so fragrant and has such depth when grown and treated right. Quartomoro’s ungrafted pre filloxera vineyard (in Sulcis) was originally planted back in 1967 (before I was born) by a family friend and has zero chemicals messing with it. What a exquisite expression they’ve managed to capture through love and care of this historic, native grape. Ok, that does it. I’m changing my Babbel subscription back to Italian, and when the time comes my bags will be packed. Ciao!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @quartomoro @steephillwine @antosicurezza @stefanobaldantoni @cheezits #cheezit #wine #redwine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Italy #Arborea #Sardegna #Sardinia #Sulcis #Carignano #babbel

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Abracadabra!

Quartomoro
Z
Frizzante sui Lieviti
100% Vermentino
Arborea, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, guyot training, unfined and unfiltered
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella and Luciana Baso

Hazy golden bubbly with pretty sediment just waiting for you at the base. Pop that cap and come on lemon! You know those light layered wafer cookies that has lemon cream between each layer. Also some tangerine and dainty white flowers. Lift and swig and more lemon on my tongue with a tad of grapefruit, apple, pinch of salt, and a savory mix of spices: sage, thyme rosemary, and a toasty cinnamon thing. It’s crispy and bouncy, and I’m just realizing there’s reminders of Orangina. Fabulous sparkler and IPA lovers would have fun with it too. Best of both worlds

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: no complaints here

Quartomoro has been creating this beauty since 2012. Almost feels like an ancient science experiment, but then so do most wines when you really think about it. From what I read, they take last year’s non bubbly Vermentino (on the lees) and re-ferment the dry base in the bottle and then add the next year’s freshly crushed juice, skin, seed mixture (the must) and the ancestral method works it’s magic. Abracadabra! You have this unfined, unfiltered and non vintage bottle. I’m guessing, I’m drinking a mix of 2018 and 2019, due to the harvests being in September, but feel free to let me know if I’m wrong. It’s nice to think I’m sipping something from before all this 2020 mess. Here’s again to 2021! Raise that glass of frizzante and welcome this New Year in with a big smooch!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @quartomoro @steephillwine @cheezits #steephillwine #cheezit #wine #whitewine #orangewine #sparklingwine #frizzante #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Italy #guyot #Arborea #Sardegna #Sardinia #Vermentino #Abracadabra #SteveMillerBand

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Oh, You Lovely Old Indigenous Grape You

Quartomoro
Òrriu di Sardegna 2018
sulle bucce
100% Vernaccia di Oristano
Arborea, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, dry farmed, guyot training
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella and Luciana Baso

Beautiful gold like the the ring I’d like on my finger. Sniffing mandarin orange, lemon zest, lilac, salt, and also hints of grapefruit and honeysuckle blossoms. Tasting lots of citrus, some darkness of deep melon, honey, vanilla, flowers and of course almond. This is a beautiful rich gift wrapped up in a bow with a cork on top.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NOPE! Makes it bitter

Oh, you lovely old indigenous grape you, Vernaccia di Oristano. I swear Sardinia produces some of the most beautiful grapes. Why the heck haven’t I visited there yet? Just you wait, once this pandemic is under control, my bags are packed. So, I’m reading there’s a tale that if you drink a good bit of Vernaccia, it will ward off malaria. Definitely curious to see who came up with that, how tipsy they were, and how much of it is true, because hey you never know. As I wrote in my post “Genie in a Bottle” on the rare grape Granazza (Granatza), some people mistake that grape for Vernaccia di Oristano. There are similarities, but each is an entirely different beast. Also Piero Cella and Luciana Baso’s creation is of a more modern style Vernaccia and lighter than the old more traditional oxidized and sherry-like styles. They let that grape sing! It’s rich, fresh, and full of life! Cheers!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @quartomoro @steephillwine @cheezits #steephillwine #cheezit #wine #whitewine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Italy #guyot #Arborea #Sardegna #Sardinia #VernacciadiOristano #Vernaccia #winestagram

 

 

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Harmonic Symphony

Quartomoro
Òrriu Cannonau di Sardegna 2018
100% Cannonau
Arborea, Sardegna, Italy
Low intervention, dry farmed, guyot training
Winemaking couple: Piero Cella and Luciana Baso

Vibrant ruby glory! When the cork came out it was a cloud of vanilla, dark depth, flowers, forest and cherries of course. Sweet yet tangy fragrance makes me think of ponzu sauce.  Dark and rich flavors of plum, cherries, blueberries, dried figs, and a pinch of Sumac.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Plum turns to sweet prune. Just smooth

A little bird sat on my shoulder and whispered, “Rumor has it that this is the best Cannonau right now!” My feathered friend is definitely onto something. Even though this is a young vineyard (located in the Marrubiu vineyard) the pulverized volacnic/granite enrichment of the soil brings out the best of these grapes. As Piero Cella says, “Our goal is always to make a harmonic symphony from the grapes and to put that into our bottles, at the same time with the real essence of our island.” Harmonic symphony is a very lovely way to put it. It’s as graceful and rich as their wine…and guess what? I have two more of their bottles in the mix to try in the near future. It’s going to be a fun week!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @quartomoro @steephillwine @cheezits #steephillwine #cheezit #wine #redwine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #Italy #guyot #Cannonau #Arborea #Sardegna #Sardinia

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Genie in a Bottle

Cantina Orgosa di Musina Giuseppe
Bianco
Granazza (Granatza – Sardinian spelling)
Orgosolo, Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy
Natural, organic, biodynamic
Winemaker: Giuseppe Musina

Vibrant copper orange color. Hmm maybe this is a new hair color for me. Really fresh scents of orange and orange peels, and in particular mandarins, then salt, smoke, and back to orange blossoms…ok we’re going with a whole lot of orange here. Like walking through a grove in the morning as the dew is still glistening on the grass and the fragrance of the fruit and flowers surround you. Mmmm this tastes smooth yet zippy, light, and fresh. Here comes that orange again, mandarin, tangerine, apricot, and a splash of peach. There’s also good old salt, white pepper, and almond.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: maybe a little more tangy but doesn’t change much

Here’s another wonderful wine by Giuseppe Musina. Never fails and as always love the depiction of one of the infamous local murals on the label. You can read more about them on my earlier post https://worldbyglass.com/a-town-of-murals/

The lovely grape living in this bottle like a genie is Granazza (Granatza), and is an ancient and somewhat rare white grape variety found around the town of Mamoiada in the centre of Sardinia. Some people believe it to be a synonym of Nuragus, and others mistake it for Vernaccia di Oristano. From what I’m finding, Giuseppe (I believe in 2014) lost a few stumps due to frost and other elements, but didn’t loose heart, and replanted with Granazza. I see those lost vines as a win for him as I sit here sipping this beautiful glass.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cantinaorgosa @musinagiuseppe @zevrovineselections @cheezits #cheezit #wine #orangewine #whitewine #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits  #organic #biodynamic #naturalwine #sustainable #Granazza #Granatza #Orgosolo #Nuoro #Sardinia #Sardegna #Italy

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WINE MEMORIES 3.8.2018

Cantina Argiolas
Turriga 2011
Isola dei Nuraghi IGT
Sardegna Italy
Cannonau (mostly) with Carignano, Bovale Sardo, Malvasia Nera

Hesitantly opened back in 2018. One of my favorites, and I didn’t know when I would get it again. From what I remember of that night (and my sparse notes), it was deep, dreamy, dark fruit, some herbal thing like fennel, and as it grew chocolate/coffee. Elegant and strong and just filled with love. Was a gift from my dear, but here is the problematic part, did he get it here or was it a bottle he brought me back from Basel? Shhh… don’t tell him I can’t sort where my present came from. I swear my brain has been so fried memory-wise since lockdown, and I didn’t take a picture of the back of the bottle. It may have come from Paul Ullrich AG in Basel or it could have come from D.O.C. Wine Shop. It’s a coin toss at this point, so giving both a nod of credit. Either way, still one of the Sardinian wines I ABSOLUTELY LOVE! Oh, and this is from the pre-Cheez-It’s era.

Cantina Argiolas https://argiolas.it/

@ArgiolasWinery @docwineshop @docwinebar @paulullrichag #wine @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #sardegna #sardinia #italy #Cannonau #Carignano #BovaleSardo #MalvasiaNera #argiolaswinery

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Honeysuckle Love

Cantina Su’entu
Su’aro 2018
Bianco blend of native grapes
Marmilla IGT
Sardegna Italy

A bright bold glass of gold. At first whiff there’s citrus, like tangerine and lemon with a splash of grapefruit. As it goes on, out comes hibiscus, honeysuckle,  rich melon, apricot, a dash of salt, and just deep beautiful flowers…whew that’s a lot and we haven’t even had a first sip. Here we go! Luscious melon and honey and all sorts flowers, a little orange peel tang, and a nice touch of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: makes the honeysuckle and melon go wild. Where’s the prosciutto?

Here’s another bit of smooth sweetness with Sarah Vaughan, Honeysuckle Rose

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cantinasuentu @WineTwistImport #winetwistimport @cheezits #cheezit #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #italy #marmilla #sardegna #sardinia #sarahvaughan #honeysuckle

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Deep Velvet

Cantina Tondini
Taroni 2016
Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 
Calangianus Sassari Sardegna Italy
Cagnulari 20%, Cannonau 20%, Carignano 20%, Nebbiolo 20%, Sangiovese 20%

Holding up my glass next to the window, and the color is deep shining ruby. Swirl and sniff…pine and cedar syrup, then smoke, cherries, prunes, cola, and old book leather. You all still remember books, right? Reading digital books just doesn’t have the joy of holding a real physical book that has a gentle on the eyes font. Now for the taste, and there’s cherries, blueberries, plummy, spice and some smoke. This is soooo smooth, and deep dark richness. As much as I hate using this term, but I can’t think of anything better, this is one sexy wine.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: This is deep velvet underground.

@docwineshop @docwinebar @CantinaTondini #CantinaTondini @WineTwistImport #winetwistimport @cheezits #wine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #Calangianus #Sassari #Sardegna #Italy #Cagnulari #Cannonau #Carignano #Nebbiolo #Sangiovese #thevelvetundeground

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A Town of Murals

Cantina Orgosa di Musina Giuseppe
Nero di Orgosa
Vino Rosso
Orgosolo Sardinia Italy
Cannonau 80%, Carignano and Sangue di Cristo 20%

This wine is “pretty in purple” and definitely no filtering. Sniff and here’s the hay, then I’m in a field of lilacs and other purple flowers. Give it a chance to air out and delicious dark fruit, salt, caramel, cocoa, and smoke. Onto the first sip and the hay is still hanging around a little bit. There’s a little tingle, some earthiness and a pop of tart and pepper. Sip some more and there’s dried fruit (cherry, cranberry & fig). Such complexity of flavors and such a light body. Bitter herbs, stone and even some cherry pop. 

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth tingle, fruity, sweetness 

Cantina Orgosa is driven by the winemaker Giuseppe Musina, and he keeps everything biodynamic. I applaud his use of native grapes, and from what I’m reading his winery is the first one to produce bottled wine in Orgosolo. Also love that the label on the bottle of Nero di Orgosa is a pic of one of the local murals. Perusing their Facebook Page photos and oh how I wish I could see this in person. The vineyard is just lush and beautiful. There’s pics of the harvest happening by hand and then happy gatherings that must be of some celebratory meal. Honestly, how great would it be to have a large group of your friends gathered around a long table, passing plates and opening wine. 

The comune of Orgosolo is very well known for its before mentioned murals and some call it a “museum town” since you only have to walk and you are immersed in these paintings. From what I’m reading the first mural appeared in 1969 and was signed by Dioniso (which was either a group of anarchists, or an anarchist theater troupe from Milan). Murals were continued in the 70s and 80s led by an art teacher Francesco Del Casino, some of his students, and others. I’m not sure who is continuing them now. There are depictions of war, peace, politics, protest, 9/11, the fall of Saddam, independent declarations, simple family life, love, religion, and even a man holding a goat. Found on YouTube (by Tassos Diavatis), here’s an extensive video of these artworks. 

@Vinorgosa @docwineshop @docwinebarny @cheezits #wine #workingfromhome #pandemic #covid19 #worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #sardinia #sardegna #orgosolo #needmorewine #italy #Cannonau #Carignano #cantinaorgosa #murals # streetart