Cantina Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Superiore Terre Brune 2021

Cantina Santadi is a grower co-operative founded in 1960 in Santadi, in the Sulcis corner of south-west Sardinia. Terre Brune is its flagship, made mainly from Carignano with a small share of Bovale, grown as old bush vines on sandy, iron-rich coastal soils under a hot, dry Mediterranean sun. The warm climate and sea breeze ripen the thick-skinned Carignano to full maturity, which shows in the deep colour, the concentrated dark fruit and the ripe 15 percent alcohol. The wine ages 18 months in barrel followed by 12 months in bottle, and that combination of oak oxygenation and bottle rest knits the tannins together and adds spice and savoury depth before release. The colour is deep ruby with garnet at the rim. The nose offers dried plum, fig and black cherry with dark chocolate, black pepper, liquorice and leather. The palate is full and warming, with ripe rounded tannins, a dense fruit core and a long spiced finish. This is a generous Mediterranean red for robust cooking. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant for an hour. It suits braised beef, roast lamb and rich game.