Mora & Memo 'Nau' Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2022

Elisabetta Pala has lived, breathed, and dreamt wine since childhood, and in 2013 she realized that dream with the inception of Mora & Memo. Her vineyards are nestled amidst rolling limestone hills in the southeastern corner of Sardinia, a mile away from the Sette Fratelli mountains and overlooking the sea of Cagliari. That sea, as well as the Tyrrhenian sea on the other side of the mountains, help to mitigate temperatures and maintain freshness in the vineyards, while the mistral wind imparts an additional note of salinity to the distinctive minerality of the soils. Elisabetta takes her inspiration not only from the traditions of the region but the potential of the remarkable Sardinian terroir. Unsurprisingly, the label image of “Quattro Mori” (Four Moors of the Sardinian flag) features a resolute woman, rooted in tradition but gazing ahead to the future and the outside world. 30 year old cannonau (aka grenache) is fermented and aged in temperature-controlled stainless steel. This silky, medium-bodied red offers up generous aromas of wild berry, earth, and wildflowers. On the palate, it is juicy, savory, and smooth, with ripe Marasca cherry, plum, and blackberry flavors accompanied by anise, baking spice, and wild herbs alongside gentle tannins. A lingering, succulent finish yields more notes of minerals and earth. Organically grown.