Cardedu 'Astili' Rosso Sardegna, 2019

Sergio Loi is a 4th generation traditional Sardinian producer, whose family winery from the early 900s has always practiced no chemical farming and minimum intervention in the cellar. The Cardedu [car-DAY-do] vineyards are located on the island’s sparsely populated Southeast, on crumbling granite soils near the coast, and schist in the ragged-dry hills and cliffs around Jerzu. Astili is a field blend coferment that comes from Sergio’s oldest and highest altitude vineyard, perched just above the town of Cardedu on the slope of Mount Astili; it’s planted to Cannonau, Bovale Sardo / Muristeddu, Monica, and Pascale varietes. In the mouth, Cannonau’s familiar red plum fruit and Monica’s herbal notes get charged with Bovale’s electric-acidity, and fractal tannins. Wild!

FARMING: No synthetic chemical inputs- fungicides, pesticides or herbicides; hand harvest

SOILS: Scisto (schiste)

VARIETIES: 50% Cannonau, 50% Bovale Sardo / Muristeddu, Monica, and Pascale

VINE AGE: 32 years old

HARVEST DATE: August 20th

YEASTS: Native

FERMENTATION & ÉLEVAGE: All grapes are co-fermented for 12 days in stainless steel tanks. Raised for 6 months minimum in old cavernous cement tanks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered

SULPHUR: 20 mg/L added during the harvest and 20 mg/L added at the end of the vinification

ALCOHOL: 12.5% ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 500 cases