MARI 2020 [Bentu Luna] 75cl

Full Body, Dry (Cannonau*, Bovale**, Monica). DOC Mandrolisai. Alc 14%.

89 pts James Suckling.

An exciting new wine from the Sardinian vineyards of Bentu Luna - sister winery of prestigious Lombardy estate Castello Di Cigognola.

A blend of the key Sardinian grapes, from 30-50 year old vines, grown in an important wine zone right in the centre of the island, then produced at the winery estate on the central West coast (in Neoneli in the province of Oristano).

Tasting notes: An opulent wine, packed with ripe fruit (wild strawberry, loganberry, hedgerow fruit) and floral notes, with a smoky finish (reminiscent of some Syrah). Dark berries, brambles, earthy, hint of cacao. Will be gorgeous with duck or bbq meats.

From Jancis Robinson: "Just mid ruby with orange tinges. A cool nose of raspberry and with a suggestion of mint and smoky minerality and raw rhubarb, which may indicate a cooler vintage than the triumphant 2019. Bags of minerally raspberry fruit with succulent acidity and finely ground tannins, like out of a mortar. Very long and deep and, actually, this should get another year in bottle. Earthy, smoky notes on a long raspberry finish that is concentrated as well as fresh. Perhaps a tiny bit less ripe than last year’s version but still compelling." (WS)

*Cannonau, known elsewhere as Grenache or Garnacha. **Bovale Sardo, a.k.a. Bovaleddu (known elsewhere as Graciano).

WINERY NOTES:

Mari is a Mandrolisai DOC, from 35% Sardinian Bovale, 30% Cannonau, 30% Monica vines. Harvesting takes place in the first ten days of October. After a slow and careful destemming of the bunch, fermentation begins with spontaneous foot in 20hl cement tanks. Fermentation lasts about three weeks, with light manual punching down at the end of the second. The refinement is eight months in second passage oak barriques, during which light bâtonnage is carried out and the malolactic fermentation is activated. Mari presents itself as a wine of great balance: spicy notes emerge on the nose, it is soft in the mouth and impresses with the enveloping hints of dark fruit and the delicious salty note, with a warm finish.

Vinification : After a slow and careful destemming of the bunch, fermentation begins with spontaneous foot in 20 Hl cement tanks. Here the whole berries alternated with whole clusters begin their fermentation process. Process that lasts about 3 weeks during which light manual punching takes place after 2 weeks.

Aging : the wine is aged for 8 months in second passage oak barriques. During this period he carries out the MLF and light battonage is carried out.

No. of bottles produced : 4,900

LEARN MORE: Follow this link to a podcast by Wine For Normal People that's useful for understanding more about the SARDINIA region (important for grapes like Vermentino, Monica, Cannonau, Bovale)!

Finally, an excerpt from an article by Walter Speller for JancisRobinson.com says "Sardinia has become a hotbed of activity, especially the high plain of Mandrolisai, where many old and very old vines of indigenous varieties can be found. Only now is the full potential of this area being recognised with the recent and considerable investment made by the Moratti family, responsible for some fine Oltrepò Pavese sparkling wine. A brand-new cellar has been built for their Bentu Luna estate on Sardinia. Star oenologist Federico Staderini is involved in this new enterprise as well as with their Oltrepò Pavese sparklers. The first vintages of the Bentu Luna wines ... are truly captivating and amazing expressions of Cannonau especially – the best I have come across so far in Italy. Some of these elegant, complex and, I expect, long-lived wines come in at a whopping 15.5%, but you wouldn't know it."