Cantine Argiolas Sardinia Wine Tasting with Special Guest Antonio Argiolas Thursday, May 11th 7:30pm and all the Argiolas wines in the store on SALE!!
If God forbade drinking, would He have made wine so good?
- Cardinal Richeleu
The wines from the island of Sardenia are considered to be some of the healthiest wines you can consume with many speculating that they have magical healing properties. There are a number of locals on the island that are members of the 100+ year old club like Cantine Argiolas founder Antonio Argiolas who lived to be 102 years old!
Argiolas is the foremost wine estate on the island of Sardinia producing archetypal wines from native varietals. Antonio Argiolas, who died in 2009 at the age of 102, inherited seven acres of vines from his father in 1938 and was the first on the island to convert to modern viticulture to pursue quality over quantity. His sons, Franco and Giuseppe, replanted the vineyards in the 1980s with the goal of reducing yields and focusing exclusively on Sardinian grapes. Joined by enologist Mariano Murru, the Argiolas family is today recognized as Sardinia’s leading wine producer.
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies roughly 190 miles west of Italy's mainland. The kingdom of Aragón ruled Sardinia for 400 years and many of its vines came from Spain, including Bovale Sardo, Carignano, and Cannonau. The island can be divided into three principal viticultural areas: the north, influenced by the marine influence of the Costa Smeralda which specializes in Vermentino; the southwest, where Carignano is at its best; and the Trexenta hills north of the capital of Cagliari featuring Nuragus, Monica, and Cannonau. The vineyards of Argiolas are located in the areas of Trexenta and Sulcis where the family controls 600 acres planted to native Sardinian grapes.
The Argiolas family has worked diligently to become the leader in Sardinian enology and insists on using native Sardinian vines. The winery produces both a classic and prestige line of wines. The classic wines are fresh in style and bottled under various DOCs, including Vermentino di Sardegna and Cannonau di Sardegna. The late Giacomo Tachis believed southern Sardinia possessed the “true soul of the island,” and helped create the prestige offerings of Argiolas, bottled under the Isola del Nuraghi IGT and aged in French barriques. These include Korem, based on Bovale Sardo, and the benchmark Cannonau blend Turriga.
Join us as we welcome the latest generation of the Argiolas family to South Florida as we have Antonio Argiolas here to showcase the wineries’ newest releases. Chefs Toni and Dani are making a special meal to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $225 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
CANTINE ARGIOLAS SARDINIAN WINE TASTING WITH SPECIAL GUEST ANTONIO ARGIOLAS
Thursday, May 11, 2023
7:30 PM
2021 CANTINE ARGIOLAS COSTAMOLINO VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA
2020 CANTINE ARGIOLAS PERDERA RED WINE SARDINIA, ITALY
2020 CANTINE ARGIOLAS COSTERA CANNONAU (GRENACHE) SARDINIA, ITALY
2021 CANTINE ARGIOLAS CARDANERA DOC SARDINIA, ITALY
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS SENES RISERVA SARDINIA, ITALY
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS IS SOLINAS RISERVA SARDINIA, ITALY
2019 CANTINE ARGIOLAS KOREM 'BOVALE' ISOLA DEI NURAGHI ROSSO IGT, SARDINIA, ITALY
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS TURRIGA ISOLA DEI NURAGHI ROSSO IGT, SARDINIA, ITALY
Menu
Cheese and Charcuterie Selection
Raw Squash and Zucchini Salad drizzled with Sherry Lemon Herb Vinaigrette Crumbled Chevre and Toasty Almonds
Grilled Octopus served alongside Tomato Olive Relish complemented by Grilled Ciabatta bread drenched in Sardinian Olive Oil and Roasted Garlic
Australian Rack of Lamb topped with Jalapeno Mint Jam served over Turnup Mash in a bath of Red Wine Sauce
Seada – Crispy Phyllo Pastry filled with lemon scented Ricotta topped with warm Honey
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $225 + tax per person, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Cantine Argiolas
The story begins in the early twentieth century when Antonio Argiolas decided to bet on the wines of his land, he only owned a three-hectare farm in Serdiana, a town 20 kilometers from Cagliari. Legacy of the father, it was the place where he planted the first vineyard. The idea of her grew and matured, together with the love for his wife Bonaria and for the family that he had created with her. The passion for the land, a legacy of the peasant world in which he grew up but whose borders he felt were narrow (delimited by the hedges of prickly pears that obstructed the view of the horizon), has always guided his choices and vision. He has thus resisted the campaigns of eradication of the vine and – while remaining anchored to his Island – he has often crossed the sea, first to reach the Peninsula, then new continents.
It was 1979 when Antonio Argiolas, by then an established local entrepreneur, went to Argentina and California. These trips were of great inspiration to him, they represented the beginning of a revolution: they showed him in fact how it was necessary to overcome the fragmentation of the countryside, widespread on the island, and to employ technologically advanced machines for working larger and more from a single property. Thus it was that he bought the lands of Selegas-Sa Tanca and Sisini, the largest estates of the winery. These are the places Argiolas wines speak of, emblem of the strength, courage and foresight of the idea.
The progenitor's vision lives on thanks to the passion of his children and grandchildren
Antonio Argiolas used the term idea to define the dream of a winery that was able to tell the world about itself, drawing strength from tradition. The legacy of that ambition, guarded by their children Franco and Giuseppe, is today enhanced by their grandchildren Valentina, Francesca and Antonio who, parents of a new generation, never stop betting on the value of the land and its productions, investing in training and comparison.
From their great old man, a monument of an extraordinary entrepreneurial history, they wanted to gather the stubbornness and sense of challenge with the world, the simple and authentic joy of the harvest and pressing, the passion that springs from the bubbling musts and the effervescent new wines, the personality which defines tenacious and mature wines, soft like the limestone in which they are rooted, fragrant and sapid like the sea, long-lived like the Sardinians.
In harmony with the land and traditions
The Cellar has as its nucleus a traditional house of Parteolla, the historical-geographical region of Sardinia where Serdiana is located. From the outset it has bet on innovation, firmly linking its genesis to the island and reflecting its identity. By protecting local vines and investing in sustainability, the company experiments with cutting-edge cultivation techniques, uses the advice of international experts and speaks the language of the future.
The Cellar has also become a point of reference for the promotion of the culture of wine, food and hospitality. The encounter with the artistic and intellectual world that owes its creative strength to Sardinia is also an engine of constant growth, fertile ground for projects and new ideas, a crossroads of narratives that cross the sea.
All the wines from Cantine Argiolas Available at Wine Watch
2021 ARGIOLAS COSTAMOLINO VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA
Price: $17.50 Your Price: $15.40
Vermentino often shows the fragrance of macchia, the mix of evergreen shrubs and herbs that typifies the Sardinian landscape. Costamolino hints at aromas of pine and mint coupled with ripe stone fruit and sweet citrus. The palate is at once vibrant and textural and finishes with lingering acidity.
2020 ARGIOLAS PERDERA RED WINE SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $17.50 Your Price: $15.40
Perdera is 90% Monica, 5% Carignano, and 5% Bovale Sardo, aged in neutral barrels and cement vats to preserve Monica’s varietal characteristics. The wine shows red fruit aromas and flavors of cherries and plums with floral notes and spices. Perdera is juicy with bright acidity and low tannins.
2020 ARGIOLAS COSTERA CANNONAU (GRENACHE) SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $18.75 Your Price: $16.50
Costera shows the typicity of the Cannonau grape with flavors of very ripe strawberries, black cherries, herbs, and spices. The warmth and intense sunlight of southern Sardinia can be seen and felt in the wine with unexpectedly deep color and fullness on the palate. French oak barriques provide rounded tannins and flavors of vanilla.
2021 ARGIOLAS CARDANERA DOC SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $22.50 Your Price: $19.80
About the Vineyard: The vineyard is very close to the sea side, in the south of Sardinia. Soils in the vineyard are a combination of sand and clay. There is no irrigation, but humidity from the sea keeps the vineyard hydrated. The strong sea breeze keeps the air circulating throughout the grapes.
Wine Production: Harvesting occurs when the grapes reach ultimate ripeness, to obtain balanced tannins with the freshness’s and softness typical for young style of carignano.
Fermentation and maceration occur at a controlled temperature, for an average period of 12-15 days. The wine is then transferred to cement tanks, where malolactic fermentation occurs.
Tasting Notes: Color: ruby red. Nose: intense, perfume with notes of wild “macchia Mediterranea” smells and fresh red fruit. Palate: fresh, savory, balanced. with a fine and balanced tannins.
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS SENES RISERVA SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $36.00
The introduction of "Senes" Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Riserva serves the Argiolas family as an homage to the winery's patriarch, Antonio Argiolas, who's 102 years were largely dedicated to cultivating the indigenous varietals of his island.
The vines for "Senes" grow in the Costera estate, which is located in the Siurgus Donigala area to the north of Cagliari in southern Sardegna.
"Senes" Cannonau Riserva is deep purple in appearance. The wine is both structured (with firm acid and ripe tannins) and soft/velvety at the same time. Rich aromas of sweet blackberry and prune mingle with Mediterranean herbs and sweet cooking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Persistence of flavor throughout the finish underscores the high quality of this limited production wine.
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS IS SOLINAS RISERVA SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $39.60
Carginano Del Sulcis was introduced as a DOC in 1977 and the wine can only be a red or rose made from the Carignano (Carignan) grape. Sulcis is a coastal zone that includes the island of Sant'Antioco as well as the areas around Sant'Antioco. This region is in the south of Sardinia, close to the sea, which provides cooling breezes for Sardinia's southernmost vines.
The sandy soils of the Is Solinas sub-area in the Sulcis vineyard are only 50 meters from the sea. Additionally, the vineyard is phylloxera-free.
Argiolas uses no irrigation for this vineyard. The water content is comprised of sea salt and humidity.
The wine is ruby red with a violet hue. On the nose, the wine has an intense, persistent perfume with notes of ripe fruit and jam. On the palate, the wine is harmonious, full, and warm, with fruity notes.
2019 CANTINE ARGIOLAS KOREM 'BOVALE' ISOLA DEI NURAGHI ROSSO IGT, SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $52.50 Your Price: $46.20
Korem is a blend of Bovale Sardo, Carignano, and Cannonau, three red grapes with origins in Spain that typify Sardinian viticulture. The wine is a more elegant counterpart to Turriga thanks to the aromatic Bovale Sardo. The label is that of an Ancient Greek coin found in the vineyards of the Argiolas property. Bovale Sardo (Graciano) is an underrated grape that has been making a comeback in its native Rioja. Korem blends the low-yielding and deeply-colored Bovale Sardo for aroma and acidity, with Carignano for tannin, and Cannonau for fruit and body to achieve an elegant wine of layered complexity.
2018 CANTINE ARGIOLAS TURRIGA ISOLA DEI NURAGHI ROSSO IGT, SARDINIA, ITALY
Price: $98.00 Your Price: $86.24
Turriga is a powerful red wine that requires time in bottle to show its full complexity. Upon release, Turriga is densely packed with powerful tannins and tightly wound fruit, thus decanting is recommended. With time in bottle, Turriga reveals multiple layers of Mediterranean herbs, roasted coffee, spices, and licorice with a generous core of black and red fruit.
Cannonau (Garnacha) is known for giving full-flavored and full-bodied red wines and requires big flavors at the table. Grilled or stewed game, beef, or lamb are obvious pairings for this wine as are earthy vegetables such as roasted wild mushrooms. Turriga can also accompany cured meats or aged Pecorino cheese.
Blend: 85% Cannonau, 5% Carignano, 5% Bovale Sardo, 5% Malvasia Nera