2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
The 999 on the label refers to the vineyard’s altitude, more than 3,000 feet above sea level. Could it be the highest Vermentino parcel on Earth? The chilly nights up here confer restraint to what feels as much like a mountain white as a Mediterranean one. Montisci’s measured use of skin contact yields a fleshy texture, gently enveloping a granitic core. Only fifty cases were produced, and we were lucky to secure a few for our shop.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentino |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Sardinia |
Producer: | Giovanni Montisci |
Winemaker: | Giovanni Montisci |
Vineyard: | 15 year-old vines |
Soil: | Granite |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino da Tavola
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino Rosso
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia
Our first foray into Sardegna is very recent, and it only took one trip to fall in love with the island, its culture, and its wines. Similar to its northerly neighbor, Corsica, there is a strong regional identity here that goes far beyond its official status as one of Italy’s twenty regions. Its people are proud, strong-willed, and deeply attached to their traditions—a distinctive character often seen with island people and accentuated by its long history of invasions and outside rule.
This tumultuous past has resulted in diverse influences—Greek, Roman, Aragonese, Catalan, and Ligurian, just to name a few—that have shaped the island’s culture, language, cuisine, and wines over many centuries. While Vermentino and Cannonau (aka Grenache) reign, Sardegna also boasts a number of indigenous grapes that are capable of expressing something unique in its abundant variety of terroirs.
The Mediterranean plays a major role, providing cooling, salty breezes to coastal areas, while the rugged, mountainous interior is home to high-altitude sites where wines retain freshness in spite of the southerly latitude. The granitic highlands of Gallura and Barbagia come to mind as some of its most qualitative zones, but a range of soils, elevations, and varying distance to the sea mean that the island is capable of producing wines in all styles, from crisp whites to powerful reds and exquisite vini dolci.
The three growers we represent bring something new to the table, something fascinating that is not found elsewhere in Italy or even in nearby Corsica. Their wines evoke the rustic beauty of this fascinating island civilization, and of course, pair perfectly with the local cuisine, be it seafood-based or the hearty, earthy specialties of its interior.
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino Rosso
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino da Tavola
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Vermentino di Gallura
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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