2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
There are certain wines that deliver such visceral experiences that, when you taste them, you’re transported immediately to the place they were made. Vigne Rada’s dazzling Stria is one of those, bringing you directly to a Mediterranean seaside table brimming with lightly fried fish and pasta topped with mussels or clams. In the middle of this bounty from the sea stands this cold bottle of Vermentino, made just a stone’s throw from the sea.
The Bardino family farms the grapes for this cuvée around Alghero, along Sardinia’s northwestern coast. Like Corsica, its neighbor to the north, the island of Sardinia is an ideal home for the Vermentino grape, with its warm climate and invigorating coastal winds. Meanwhile, Vigne Rada’s rocky soils of clay, limestone, quartz, and chalk are perfectly suited to the variety that shines in this bottling.
Take a sip of this bianco and the first thing you notice is the impressive balancing act: on one hand, it is crisp and zesty, and on the other, palate-coating and almost creamy. Notes of spring flowers, citrus, honey, and almonds abound in the glass, making for a mouthwatering white wine that’s perfect at aperitivo or alongside seafood or fresh pastas loaded with spring produce.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentino |
Appellation: | Vermentino di Sardegna |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Sardinia |
Producer: | Vigne Rada |
Winemaker: | Bardino family |
Vineyard: | 8 years average, 1.75 ha |
Soil: | Alluvial with riverbed stones and quartz; clay, limestone, chalk |
Aging: | Aged 3-4 months in stainless steel tank on fine lees, regular stirring of the lees |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 14% |
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Vermentino di Sardegna
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Vermentino di Gallura
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.
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Cannonau di Sardegna
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino da Tavola
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Vermentino di Sardegna
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino da Tavola
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Vermentino di Gallura
Giovanni Montisci Italy | Sardinia | Vino Rosso
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312
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