Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036886
october 2018 / the tasting panel / 65 WINE #3: CANTINA MESA 2016 PRIMO SCURO ROSSO CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA DOC, SARDINIA, ITALY ($15) Presented by Kristina Sazama, Wine Educator for Santa Margherita USA As poetically stated on Cantina Mesa's website, "Sardinia is a place where sea and sky form a single source of light, where vines grow on hillsides pampered by nature, lulled by the sun, and caressed by a wind permeated with the scents of the Mediterranean." Nestled about a mile from the sea in an idyllic valley near Sant'Anna Arresi, Cantina Mesa's snow-white walls reflect the brilliant Sardinian sunlight, standing in stark contrast to the dark, thick evergreen scrub brush that blankets the hills beyond. Known in Italian as macchia mediterranea, the growth shelters the winery and its vineyards from the drying Mistral winds. Founded in 2004, Cantina Mesa's estate comprises 70 hectares, with the majority of its vineyards located in the Carignano del Sulcis DOC. The winery produces 750,000 bottles annually of sev- eral local varieties, including the entry-level Primo Scuro Rosso Cannonau di Sardegna DOC presented at the tasting. Like Clai in Croatia, Cantina Mesa's winemaking is minimalist: Fermentation and maturation occur in stainless steel to showcase the purity of varietal character and terroir. "There is not a toothpick of oak on this wine," said presenter Kristina Sazama, Wine Educator for importer Santa Margherita USA. "The style of Cantina Mesa focuses on transparency to highlight the essence of the variety." While several misled participants identified the wine as Pinot Noir, a handful of others correctly guessed Grenache. "For me, Cannonau [the local name for Grenache] of Sardinia is all about red fruit and spice with supple tannins, while Pinot Noir chan- nels red fruit and earth with finely grained tannins," Sazama explained. Grapes for the 2016 Primo Scuro Rosso Cannonau were har- vested in late September, with maceration lasting one week. The wine then matured in stainless steel and in bottle for roughly five months, preserving its fresh style and luminous ruby color. Supple and spirited, precocious and punchy, the Cannonau showed abundant flavors of sour cherry, pomegranate, red plum, and spicy Mediterranean herbs that fortified a refined and juicy mouthfeel. The soothing and warm finish endured with a persistent vinous glow and lingering hints of savory red fruit peppered with spice and violets. Imported by Santa Margherita USA.