Terre Rare and Marina Covello
by Shankar Chaudhuri
Proof that Sardinia’s Wines Have Come of Age
Although historically wines from Sardinia had been much prized by the ancient Greeks and other cultures along the Mediterranean littoral, these wines always lacked the fame and stature of their counterparts from the Italian mainland. In fact, until the 1990s wines from Sardinia were generally either unknown outside the island or regarded as minor curiosities devoid of much character.
That’s all in the past.
Two Sardinian wines I recently tasted – one red and one white – illustrate how far the island, just south of Corsica, has come from its days of producing uninspired wines. Products of a unique confluence of sun, sea and soil, these wines are a genuine celebration of the Sardinian terroir.
Terre Rare Carignano del Sulcis Riserva 2010
Although originally a transplant from Spain or Provence in southern France (where it is known as carignan), Carignano grapes thrive and reach their potential in the mineral-rich and sun-drenched Sulcis area in the far southwestern corner of Sardinia. This is the home of the Carignano del Sulcis DOC wine region, which produces a spicy and rich expression of the grape. Terre Rare (“Rare Earth”) is a solid example of this class of Carignano with its rich flavors of dark cherry and spice. What makes this wine particularly intriguing, however, is that it perfectly complements the rich cherry and spicy flavors with soft and subtle tannins that evolved through 12 months of aging in American oak barrels followed by several months in bottles.
At 14% alcohol, the wine is not shy and packs a full-bodied punch. The soft tannins, though, give it a feel of an elegant and well-balanced medium-bodied wine. I found it to go well with a variety of meat or poultry-based dishes. I thought that it particularly went well with Manchego cheese. Perhaps it has something to do with Carignano’s possible Spanish roots.
This wine should be decanted for an hour or more to take advantage of its full flavor and aroma. When I tasted some of the remaining wine a day later, it felt like it had evolved to its peak expression.
Terre Rare is a product of Sardinia’s largest winery, Sella & Mosca, a joint venture that was originally founded by Eriminio Sella and Edgardo Mosca, two expatriates from northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Although the Campari group, the giant beverage company, is the current majority owner of the company, the dedication of its founders in making fine wines is reflected in Terre Rare.
Priced around $15, Terre Rare is one of those rare value wines of high quality. It is the fourth most highly rated Carignano del Sulcis wine, according to Wine-Searcher. This vintage received a score of 92 by the Wine Enthusiast magazine. It should drink well through the next five years. I’ve become a fan of this new found treasure and I will continue to try out this wine for some time to come.
Marina Covello Vermentino Di Sardegna 2014
If Carignano has burst onto the Sardinian scene as one of best red varietals of the moment, Vermentino has risen to become the island's key white-wine grape. Commonly thought to have originated in Spain, it is also grown in Corsica, southern France, mainland Italy and even in the U.S. But it is in Sardinia that Vermentino has displayed its fullest potential. Here, the variety has its very own regional appellation, Vermentino di Sardegna. Vermentino’s status gained another lift when in 1996, the Italian wine authorities created the very first Vermentino-based DOCG, Vermentino di Gallura. This is Sardinia’s only DOCG designation, the highest official wine category in Italy.
Vermentino generally comes in two varieties: one is crisp, tangy and yet soothing, while the other is a rich, heavier and complex variety. The Vermentino from the Marina Covello winery (about $14) belongs to the former category (crisp and tangy!).
This one has a lively vivacity that hints of sun-kissed lemons. It has a light golden hue, and subtle notes of herbs and flowers that grow in the vineyards. I think my wife captured the feeling of Marina Covello best when her first reaction after the first smell and sip was: “it’s refined.”
Vermentino is a versatile and easy-to-drink wine with a pronounced yet subtle aroma and minerality. It should go well with all types of sea food, especially fresh fish. But I also think that down-to-earth and easy going character of the wine should sit well with spicy foods, be it Mexican, Indian, Thai or Chinese. It should drink well through the next two years. I think Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc fans should find a strong and instant affinity with this wine.
Maria Covello Vermentino 2014 has made the list of selections for British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Wall Street Journal and Sunday Times wine clubs. Perhaps some of the buzz about it has to do with the creator of this wine. It’s the brain-child of the celebrated wine maker Franco Bernabei, one of Italy’s most influential and sought-after consulting winemakers. While Bernabei has worked extensively in Tuscany, he has recently gravitated towards Sardinia because it has what he perceived to be the right conditions for making ambitious wines. Marina Covello should fit the bill of Bernabei’s dreams of making his ambitious genre of wines.
Having tried Marina Covello, I can relate to why the Guardian critic Fiona Beckett last year claimed that Vermentino should be a legitimate contender to challenge Sauvignon Blanc. She wrote: “Sauvignon Blanc has had an unbreakable grip on wine drinkers’ affections for so long that you wonder what it will take to dislodge it. Varieties like Riesling, Pinot Gris/Grigo, and Viognier are periodically touted but I just don’t see it happening.” But according to Beckett, “there’s one wine that could do it: Vermentino…” “In fact, I drank scarcely anything else when I visited the Porto Cervo festival in Sardinia in May,” she added.
Beckett’s statement above is a confirmation of how far Sardinia has come from its days of producing mostly obscure wines!
Meanwhile, I can’t wait to try a bottle of Vermentino di Gallura DOCG next.