Samas, Agricola Punica

Situated in the south west of Sardinia in an area known as Sulcis Meridionale, the award-winning Agricola Punica cellar is a joint venture between four leading figures in Italian wine. Sebastiano Rosa, celebrated oenologist and winemaker at Sassicaia, Santadi Winery President Antonello Pilloni, legendary Tuscan wine consultant Giacomo Tachis and Sebastiano’s stepfather Marchese Nicolo Incisa Della Rocchetta, owner of the famous Tenuta San Guido Estate. The 60 hectares of vineyards lie within the D.O.C. of Carignano del Sulcis though the wines themselves fall under the I.G.T. of Isola dei Nuraghi. The name comes from the ancient stone towers built by the Nuragic civilization which shaped the island from the Neolithic age until the Roman era. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily. Its culture, language, architecture, place names and of course grape varieties are all very different to those found on the mainland thanks to centuries of rule from different empires. In fact, Italian grape varieties are almost nowhere to be found. Instead there is a wealth of French and Spanish varieties including Grenache (Cannonau in Sardinian) Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Vermentino. The 1st vintage was released in 2008, and now this estate is going from strength to strength. The southwest corner of Sardinia is a near perfect environment for ripening grapes especially from the Carignano vine due to the intense, clear sunlight. This combination of bright sunlight and heat, tempered by the cooling influence of the sea, is also a wonderful environment for maturing Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.