This is one of the most exciting wineries to come out of Sardinia...
in two decades. It is the brainchild of Gavino Sanna, a Sardinian who has lived in Milan for the past 50 years, where he built up one of Italy's most successful advertising agencies. On a whim, he decided to sell the agency and seek new challenges. One of these challenges was the creation of a winery in Sulcis in southwestern Sardinia. As might be expected from someone with Sanna's background, the labels are striking. He has also ensured that the contents are equally striking. Stefano Cova, a young winemaker from Trentino, took over with the 2008 vintage, improving on already high levels of quality.

The grapes are grown in the Sulcis area on the south-western tip of Sardinia. The climate here is Mediterranean with low rainfall distributed sporadically throughout the year, but usually falling almost entirely in autumn and winter. Frequent north-westerly winds are a feature, with high temperatures in spring and summer, mild autumns and winters which vary from dry and cold to relatively mild. Soils are naturally sandy and chalky-clay, sub-alkaline, of a rocky, schistous character and medium textured, with moderate nutrient levels and good levels of minerals adding a distinctive character to the resulting wines. The vines are trained using the espalier method and spur-cordon pruned with yields around 40 hectolitres per hectare.

The grapes were hand-picked into shallow boxes and vinified with maceration on the skins and periodical pumpovers for at least 8 days. Six months maturation followed in stainless steel and lined concrete vats until bottling, where the wine remained for a further 3 months.

Burning ruby red colour. Fresh fragrances of blackberry and raspberry, sweet spices and Mediterranean forest. Acidity and long-lasting tannins come through at the end.