Alberto Loi 'Nibaru' Monica di Sardegna DOC 2018

Alberto Loi founded his eponymous estate at the end of the 1940s in the countryside of Cardedu in Ogliastra, the eastern-central region of the island of Sardinia. The estate’s 50 hectares span an area from the massif Gennargentu down to the sea, and is now run by the third generation of the Loi family. Although the cannonau grape reigns supreme in Sardinia, this unique wine is made from the Monica grape, a very old variety that likely originated in Spain. The grapes are grown on sandy schist and granite soils, fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel and aged in cement vats. Generous aromas of muddled raspberries, ripe mulberries, and stewed cranberries mingle with hints of crushed violets, tar, and charred bitter greens, with the faintest whiff of amaro-like herbs and spices. The finish is long, with food-friendly, corduroy-textured tannin.