2019 Vigne Rada 'Arsenale' Cagnulari Alghero DOC

A banker by trade, Luigi “Gino” Bardino long entertained exiting the stagnant office environment and devoting his life to wine, his true passion. After years of studying enology in his spare time, Gino finally followed his heart’s desire and in 2012 Vigne Rada saw its first harvest.

The wines of Vigne Rada are honest and straightforward—the result of a skilled artisan’s genuine passion for his craft. They deliciously reflect the coastal beauty of Alghero. Conquered by the Catalans in the 14th century, it enjoys a unique culture with notable Catalan influence in its architecture, cuisine, and even the local dialect. Conditions here are ideal for growing high-quality grapes: fresh maritime breezes and the drying maestrale moderate the Mediterranean heat, while the poor, rocky soils are perfectly suited to the production of balanced, characterful wines.Gino chose only traditional grape varieties to the region, planting one hectare each year between two distinct terroirs. Monte Pedrosu, where the winery is located, features sandy and clayey alluvial soils with abundant riverbed stones and quartz, while the sloping Cubalciada site is home to clay, limestone, and some chalk.

Sustainable farming, which in this case means no pesticides, and intervention with any kind of sprays only when deemed necessary (it's not part of a scheduled routine)- even then an adherence to the organic accepted sprays of copper and sulfur.

Cagnulari is thought to be genetically identical to the Spanish Graciano grape. Which should be no surprise, as see above and that Sardegna was later part of the Kingdom of Spain in the 1800s. Inky, earthy, woodsy (but no French oak), this dark, potent red is full of sweet spices, black fruit, and tobacco aromas—there is nothing quite like it. This wine will satisfy the fuller bodied wine drinkers and expose the drinker to that quintessential, savory Sardinian underbrush note.