Sardinia is Italy’s 2nd largest island located off the western coast of Italy separated by the Tyrhhenian Sea. Sardinia is one of the few regions I have yet to explore in Italy and I’m not sure why. It has a rugged, mountainous interior with forests and scrub covered land.  It also has about 1,200 miles of coastline, some jagged, but the rest with beautiful beaches and blue-greenish crystal waters. 

I recently picked up a bottle, a 2020 Surrau Naracu Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, and I’ll be sharing that today along with some more information on Vigne Surrau. 

The Winery ~ Vigne Surrau  

Vigne Surrau was established back in 2001 by the Demuro family whom are native Sardinians. One of the twelve siblings, Tino, purchased vineyards in Arzachena at that time and began producing wines. They own 148 acres across 8 different locations in the northeastern corner of Sardinia.  The winery is named after the Surrau Valley in which it is located between the comunes of Palau and Arzachena, which is located right in the heart of Gallura. The Gallura area of Sardinia is well known for its Vermentino, which is the only DOCG in Sardinia. Vigne Surrau’s production is 70% made of Vermentino since this area shows the best expression of this grape on the island. They are also only a 15 minute drive from the Emerald Coast, or the Costa Smeralda. 

The Wine

The 2020 Surrau Naracu Cannonau di Sardegna DOC is made up of 100% Cannonau. Under the Cannonau di Sardegna DOC the wines must have a minimum of 90% Cannonau with up to 10% of local red grapes. Cannonau is also known as Grenache in France and Alicante or Garnacha in Spain. It is the primary red grape of Sardinia that is high in antioxidants including polyphenols and anthocyanins. It may be part of the reason the Sardinian population has a life span of 90-100 years old. Sunshine, great food and wine rich in antioxidants! 

Surrau’s Naracu, is named after the Nuraghe, which are ancient stone fortresses that are found all throughout the island. The vines are located in sandy soils of granite origin, typical of this part of Sardinia. The wine spends 6 months in stainless steel with an additional 3 months in the bottle. The wine was ruby in color with some transparency. The aromas reminded of a combination of raspberry and blueberry jam with a hint of spice. A dry, medium-bodied with moderate tannins. Juicy blackberries filled the palate with a hint of sweet tobacco that lingered on with a lengthy finish ending with finesse.