Cardedu - Vermentino di Sardegna Nuo 2023

Sergio Loi is a 4th generation traditional Sardinian producer, whose family winery from the early 900s has always practiced no chemical farming and minimum intervention in the cellar. The Cardedu [car-DAY-do] vineyards are located on the island’s sparsely populated Southeast, where soils are crumbling granite near the coast, and schist in ragged-dry cliffs around Jerzu.

Sardinian producers are now catching up in popularity to those of Italy’s other large island, Sicilia. One difference that remains is that Sardinia remains more ‘lost in time.’ Cardedu balances on that edge of being traditional but also thoughtful, especially considering today’s warmer climate. In the last few vintages – extremely hot and dry – Cardedu has made lower alcohol wines by picking earlier and careful vineyard management. The result, thankfully, isn’t overtly 10% hipster juice without terroir. Sergio says, it’s just wine that tastes more like the cool vintages he enjoyed in the ’70’s.

100% Vermentino. Fermentation in stainless steel for six days at 15°C, with 6-8 hours of skin contact. Élevage in room-large cement tanks from 1950’s. This wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. Unfiltered. 20 mg/L added during the harvest and 20 mg/L added at the end of vinification.

Producer: Cardedu

Country: Italy

Region: Sardinia

Varietal: Vermentino

Appellation: Vermentino di Sardegna

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml