A taste of the strongest wine on the island
When looking to splurge on wine, if not quite at Gaja levels, a label to look for is Dettori, which is probably the most acclaimed winery in Sardinia. These will be difficult to find in most markets, but it’s certainly worth remembering the name. Their signature wine is Cannonau-based, but they make other wines, including an affordable Vermentino, a food-friendly white.
According to Robert Parker, "Readers seeking to discover the heights of Sardinian oenology owe it to themselves to experience the wines of Alessandro Dettori."
I was fortunate to travel to the winery a couple of years ago. The third or fourth wine our small group sampled at the dusty, under-construction, very traditionalist Dettori winery - "biologico" farming, glass-lined cement aging vessels, and not a sliver of oak to be found - was the 2004 vintage of their signature Dettori (Rosso).
It was the gustatory highlight of the time in Sardinia, noticeably eclipsing the scores of other quality wines we had tasted during the previous few days. After enjoying it for several moments, our guide, Andrea, who was perusing the bottle, asked us to guess its degree (alcohol content). Though we had been drinking quite a lot of the usually alcoholic Cannonau, the experienced group’s answers ranged from 12.5% to 13.5%. Andrea then smiled and said it was 17.
That the wine was outstanding 17% alcohol was a shock. Its considerable finesse balanced robustness and complexity that made it easily the best expression of Cannonau that I had ever had, including in its closely related Grenache and Garnacha forms. It was still several years from peak. Not surprisingly, it had been awarded the highest classification, Tre Bicchieri, from the leading Italian wine publication, Gambero Rosso, in 2008. That was the second strongest still wine we had on the trip. The one we had next, their very unusual, yet very enjoyable take on Moscato that weighed in at 18%.
If you can find it, or any of their wines, they are worth it, based on my experience.
Originally published on December 11, 2011.
According to Robert Parker, "Readers seeking to discover the heights of Sardinian oenology owe it to themselves to experience the wines of Alessandro Dettori."
I was fortunate to travel to the winery a couple of years ago. The third or fourth wine our small group sampled at the dusty, under-construction, very traditionalist Dettori winery - "biologico" farming, glass-lined cement aging vessels, and not a sliver of oak to be found - was the 2004 vintage of their signature Dettori (Rosso).
It was the gustatory highlight of the time in Sardinia, noticeably eclipsing the scores of other quality wines we had tasted during the previous few days. After enjoying it for several moments, our guide, Andrea, who was perusing the bottle, asked us to guess its degree (alcohol content). Though we had been drinking quite a lot of the usually alcoholic Cannonau, the experienced group’s answers ranged from 12.5% to 13.5%. Andrea then smiled and said it was 17.
That the wine was outstanding 17% alcohol was a shock. Its considerable finesse balanced robustness and complexity that made it easily the best expression of Cannonau that I had ever had, including in its closely related Grenache and Garnacha forms. It was still several years from peak. Not surprisingly, it had been awarded the highest classification, Tre Bicchieri, from the leading Italian wine publication, Gambero Rosso, in 2008. That was the second strongest still wine we had on the trip. The one we had next, their very unusual, yet very enjoyable take on Moscato that weighed in at 18%.
If you can find it, or any of their wines, they are worth it, based on my experience.
Originally published on December 11, 2011.
