Country : Italy
Region : Sant'Anna Arresi, Sardinia
Style : Red Wine
Grape : Carignano (Carignan)
Volume : 750 ml
Alcohol : 14.0%
Cantina Mesa was founded in 2004, as a declaration of love for Sardinia, as a marriage of beauty and excellence, and as a celebration of the island’s generosity and culture, expressed through one of its most precious treasures: wine. The winery therefore fulfilled the dream of its founder Gavino Sanna, who is Italy’s most famous and award-winning advertising executive: the desire to create something as extraordinary, unique and bold as Sardinia, his marvelous land of origin.
"We want to tell you the story of a wonderful land: an island with a mother’s generosity, which offers everything it has – its riches and nuances, its flavors and fragrances, its soul and its knowhow. A land where sea and sky form a single source of light, where the vines grow on hillsides wrapped in the embrace of caring nature, lulled by the sun and caressed by winds permeated with the scents of the Mediterranean Sea."
- Gavino Sanna, founder of Cantina Mesa
The Lower Sulcis, along the coastal belt in the Valley of Porto Pino (where MESA is located), is characterized by the presence of numerous vineyards, some of them over a hundred years old and composed of un-grafted vines planted in the typical sandy soil. Here the influence of the sea has a significant impact on the climate, mitigating the heat of summer in the southernmost part of the Sulcis zone.
The marine breezes refresh the vines and the salty air guarantees the freshness and vivacity of the Carignano grape’s flavors, favoring its delicious, easy-drinking style. Also, the winds in this region play an important role in preventing fungal diseases deriving from the humidity, thus ensuring the cultivation of healthy, high-quality grapes.
Carignano is traditionally cultivated using the Alberello (bush training) system, which provides greater resistance to the scarcity of water and the high temperatures. Most of the vineyards in Italy of Carignano (known elsewhere in the world as Carignan, Cariñena or Mazuelo) are to be found in Sardinia, and nearly all are in the southwest of the island. It is especially in the coastal strip of the Lower Sulcis that Carignano – often bush-trained – has found its habitat par excellence. Here the particular combination of cultivar and terroir has made Carignano really unique. The D.O.C., recognized since 1977, is in fact strictly linked to this area. The Mediterranean Sea has a favorable influence on temperatures, mitigating the heat of summer. The marine breezes refresh the vines and the salty air gives freshness and vivacity to the flavors of Carignano, making it deliciously easy to drink.
Tasting Note :
Dense, bright ruby red. This medium/full-bodied wine displays richness yet elegance. Youthful and lively, with aromatic notes of ripe red berries, herbs and spices. Jammy, chewy tannins yet smooth and silky, offering savoriness, fruit-driven, slight balsamic tones, with dark fruit-driven taste that persist long after.
Food Pairing :
Richly flavoured pasta, BBQ seafood and meat, butter rice, pecorino sardo cheese.