What are the best Sardinian wines? Discover our list with photos, description and tasting of the best 20 Sardinian wines. From the most famous wines to the lesser known ones of the best wineries in Sardinia.
Also discover the section on the best wine producers in Sardinia, where you will find articles dedicated to companies.
INDEX
- Overview Best Sardinian wines
- Terroir of Sardinian wines
- Best Sardinian wines
SARDINIAN WINES – MAIN GRAPES
What are the best Sardinian wines? Among the best wines of Sardinia we can mention important denominations and wines such as Vermentino di Gallura, Cannonau di Sardegna, Carignano del Sulcis, Monica di Sardegna, Vernaccia di Oristano and many others. Let’s briefly discover some of the characteristics of these wines:
Cannonau di Sardegna:
Cannonau is certainly among the best Sardinian wines, and is obtained from the vine of the same name (also known as Grenache), which is the most cultivated variety in Sardinia. From Cannonau, Sardinian wines of great body and alcohol are obtained, particularly fruity, spicy and with intense colors.
Vermentino:
Certainly among the best Sardinian wines there is Vermentino, from which the famous Vermentino di Gallura DOCG (the only DOCG of Sardinia) is born. Together with Cannonau, it represents the pivotal grape variety in Sardinian enology. Vermentino gives life to many immediate and simple white wines for daily consumption, but also to wines of extraordinary flavor, elegance and eloquent aromas, fully among the best Italian wines.
Carignano
Fully among the best Sardinian wines is Carignano: a red wine produced from the vine of the same name. The Carignano produced in the southwestern area of Sardinia is the important Carignano del Sulcis wine, one of the most important DOC of the region.
From this wine we obtain full-bodied wines with great mineral sapidity, also characterized by seductive aromas of fruit in jam, and berries in alcohol.
Monica
Undoubtedly, one of the best Sardinian wines is Monica, a red wine made from the vine of the same name. The Monica vine produces red wines with good structure, moderately tannic and good sapidity, embellished with vinous aromas and notes of red flowers, cherry and mulberry. Very versatile in terms of gastronomic combination and appreciated in daily consumption, but with qualitative peaks of great interest.
TERROIR OF THE WINES OF SARDINIA
Where are the best Sardinian wines born? The wines of Sardinia owe their success to the savoir-faire of the cellars but also to the intrinsic winemaking vocation of the Sardinian terroir: The climate is Mediterranean favored by the thermoregulatory function of the sea which mitigates the high daytime temperatures of summer with its breezes.
The climate, as it approaches the hilly hinterland, becomes gradually more continental and with greater temperature variations, colder winters and warmer summers.
The soils of Sardinia are quite heterogeneous ranging from clay, sandy and calcareous-marly soils with a large presence of granite. The area of Gallura is of great interest, where the subsoil of granite origin and the unique climatic factors make this area one of the most suitable for viticulture in Italy. In particular for the Vermentino which expresses itself with great character and flavor.
BEST 20 SARDINIAN WINES – Recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best Sardinian wines? So let’s see together a list of the 20 best Sardinian wines and discover their characteristics with our tasting so that everyone can find the best Sardinian wines suited to their tastes.
Tenores Badde Nigolosu 2016 – Tenute Dettori
Description: On the nose there are notes of blackberry jam, undergrowth and juniper enriched with balsamic brushstrokes of licorice root and flint. The drink envelops the palate in a dense and pleasantly sumptuous sip, with a surprising salty trail on the finish that leaves the mouth fresh and satisfied.
One of the most successful interpretations of Cannonau, which tells us with disarming sincerity the nature of its fruit. An example of how the high alcohol content can enter into synergy with minerality, giving an original and exciting sip, Cannonau by Tenute Dettori is undoubtedly one of the best Sardinian wines.
Approximate price: 45 €
Grapes: Cannonau 100%
Region: Sardinia
Santigaini 2016 – Capichera
Characteristics: Mandarin, grapefruit, broom and acacia honey extend towards notes of aromatic herbs, lavender and salt. On the palate it is dense and full-bodied, with an intriguing acid blade that fades into a salty trail of good persistence, with continuous balsamic returns.
One of the most interesting wineries in Sardinia gives us a very recognizable, fresh and inviting Vermentino sui generis. A peacock tail wine, fully among the best Sardinian wines for complexity, elegance and character.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Approximate price: 140 €
Turriga 2016 – Argiolas
Description: The nose spreads intense notes of blackcurrant, blackberries in jam and sour cherries in alcohol, then elongating towards toasted tones and balsamic sensations, of incense and nipitella. On the palate it is warm and round, with compact and well-defined tannins and an elegant and very clean finish.
Embodiment of Sardinia, Argiolas’ Turriga is a visceral wine, with an impetuous soul and a Mediterranean tone of unusual finesse. Fully among the most iconic and best Sardinian wines
Grapes: Cannonau 85%, Malvasia Nera, Bovale Sardo and Carignano
Region: Sardinia
Indicative price: 70 €
Vermentino di Gallura Superiore ‘Beru’ 2015 – Siddura
Characteristics: Mango, papaya and lemon peel are mixed with brackish and mineral tones. On the palate it is very fresh, full and satisfying, with great drinkability. Almond finish with good persistence.
A Vermentino with a fresh and brackish breath, intense and exciting. Among the best Sardinian wines for overall pleasantness and territorial identity.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Approximate price: € 35
Sacava Sulle Bucce IGT Parteolla Bianco 2019 – Sa defensa
Description Sensational the olfactory picture that outlines shades of broom and orange blossom flowers combined with saffron, maquis
Mediterranean and salty. On the palate it is full and harmonious, with an excellent structure and an extraordinary flavor. Dense, harmonious and persistent finish. A macerated white wine of unusual elegance and a large, clean and mineral sip. Fully among the best Sardinian wines for the skill with which the expressive potential of Vermentino was maximized.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Vermentino
Indicative price: 28 €
Rosso 2018 – ‘Franzisca’ Montisci
Description: A riot of ripe dark berries that fade towards Potpourri of dried flowers and essential oils. Tannins of rare silkiness and imperishable persistence with echoes of fruity and spicy tones.
An expansive and lysergic Sardinian red wine, which bets without compromise on the varietal character of the grape. Among the best Sardinian wines for taste-olfactory richness and persistence.
Region: Sardinia Approximate price: 60 €
Ziru 2018 – Antonella Corda
Description: A large bouquet stands out on the nose that ranges from white-fleshed fruit, orange blossom and hawthorn flowers to hints reminiscent of myrtle, juniper and nipitella. On the palate it flows energetic and juicy, with well-hatched tannins backed by a marked mineral sapidity. Voluminous finish with long persistence.
Ziru is a triumph of fruit and balsamic, in which the aromas, multifaceted and authentic, are the prelude to an energetic and vibrant sip. Among the best Sardinian wines for its unique character.
Grapes: Cannonau, Vermentino, Semidano, Nuragus and others
Region: Sardinia Approximate price: 32 €
Carignano del Sulcis Superiore ‘Terre Brune’ 2016 – Santadi
Description: A wine with eloquent and penetrating aromas: pressing with notes of ripe berries, red currant, spicy and balsamic, embellished with light woody hints and tannins of great finesse.
One of the best interpretations of Carignano del Sulcis: the nose is a delicate prelude that spreads sensationally opulent to the sip: powerful but silky tannins and penetrating olfactory intensity. Fully among the best Sardinian wines.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Carignano
Approximate price: 36 €
‘Ruinas’ 2020 – Depperu
Characteristics: The nose is enveloped by an intense and layered olfactory bouquet: broom, chamomile, nipitella and fruit in yellow pulp jam slowly give way to flint and suggestions of saltiness. In the mouth it is broad and silky, with an iodized finish in which the fruit emerges decisively.
Depperu’s Vermentino Ruinas is to be counted among the best Sardinian wines for its sensational strength and character.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Approximate price: 18 €
Carignano del Sulcis Riserva ‘Buio Buio’ 2017 – Mesa
Description: Violets, blackberries and plums in jam stretch towards a finish rich in suggestions of undergrowth, resin, medicinal herbs and balsamic tones. The mouth is immediately enveloped by powerful and silky tannins that slowly leave room for a long and fruity finish.
An unprecedented interpretation, in which the varietal character of Carignano reaches very high peaks. With full rights among the best Sardinian wines for the unusual refinement, the very high intelligibility of the fruit.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Carignano
Approximate price: 22 €
Alghero Cabernet Riserva ‘Marchese di Villamarina’ 2015 – Sella & Mosca
Description: A very complex wine, ripe berries, black currant, spicy and balsamic, with light woody notes and very fine tannins. An excellent wine for important occasions. Impeccable quality / price ratio.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Sardinia
One of the best interpretations of Cabernet Sauvignon in Italy: austere and majestic character, fully qualified among the best Sardinian wines.
Approximate price: 40 €
Cannonau Classico ‘Dule’ 2015 – Giuseppe Gabbas
Description: Surprising aromatic range that outlines blackberry in alcohol, plum, wild fennel followed by toasted and spicy notes. Powerful and compact tannins of excellent maturity and finish with references to the fruit and aromatic herbs.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Cannonau
Approximate price: € 19
A superb wine of unusual eloquence and elegance. Deservedly among the best Sardinian wines.
Cannonau ‘Mamuthone’ 2019 – Sedilesu
Description: It opens incisively on notes of small ripe dark fruits, withered violets and licorice root, to continue towards reminiscences of resin. On the palate it is dense and sumptuous, with a well-defined tannin that denotes great evolutionary potential.
A material wine with a sublime olfactory expressiveness. Fully among the best Sardinian wines for artisanal character.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Cannonau
Indicative price: 15 €
‘Naniha’ Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2018 – Tenute Perdarubia
Description: Ripe cherry and black currant stand out in the olfactory spectrum, flanked by mineral puffs, leather and medicinal herbs. Well-hatched and ripe tannins and sensational iodized flavor that amplifies the sip.
A captivating and successful interpretation of unusual elegance. The Naniha by Tenute Perdarubia is deservedly to be counted among the best Sardinian wines for taste-olfactory eloquence.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Cannonau
Approximate price: 18 €
Carignano del Sulcis DOC “Il Bio” 2017 – Tenuta La Sabbiosa
Characteristics: Layered sensations on clear hints of wild strawberry and wild raspberry to which are added suggestions of resin, epiphanies of dark chocolate and reminiscences of wild mint. The sip is smooth with a tannic texture of extraordinary finesse which contrasts with a pleasant mineral flavor that amplifies the sensations on the palate.
Grapes: Carignano 100%
Region: Sardinia
Fresh wine, long-limbed and with a pressing tannin, great territorial identity. Among the best Sardinian wines for its ability to maximize the expressive potential of Carignano.
Approximate price: € 35
Cannonau di Sardegna Nepente Pro Vois Riserva 2015 – Puddu
Description: The nose is broad and fruity, with strong brushstrokes of strawberry, black cherry and blueberries that fade towards floral notes of violet and pink and hints of rhubarb. On the palate it is snappy, supported by a beautiful acid blade that dilutes its vigor. Fresh and persistent finish.
A Cannonau with an authentic character, of great territorial expressiveness and with an excellent balance between flavor and volume. Deservedly among the best Sardinian wines.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Cannonau
Approximate price: 34 €
Carignano del Sulcis Riserva ‘6Mura Rosso’ 2017 – Cantina Giba
The nose outlines a kaleidoscope of fruity nuances ranging from mulberry, ripe cherry and wild fennel embellished with delicate sweet spices masterfully integrated with white chocolate, cloves and cardamom. On the palate it is voluminous, with a great extract and body with smooth tannins which counterbalance a good acidity that binds the sip, creating harmony and cleanliness in the mouth.
It is a wine of rare elegance among the Carignano del Sulcis, characterized by perfumes of impeccable precision and clarity and very soft tannins. Fully among the best Sardinian wines for value for money.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Carignano
Approximate price: 26 €
Audarya Bovale Nuracada 2018 – Audarya
Description: It opens shy but dark on spicy notes and undergrowth and humus to relax towards blackberries and wild blueberries. The sip is warm and expansive, with excellent persistence.
Audarya gives us a wine made from the native Bovale grape, animated by an energy that is still pounding, generous and with a great identity. Among the best Sardinian wines for the impeccable enhancement of Bovale.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Bovale
Indicative price: 25 €
Vermentino di Gallura Superiore ‘Sciala’ 2020 – Vigne Surrau
Characteristics: Aroma all played on tropical yellow pulp fruit, orange blossom flowers, wild fennel and toasted almonds. The sip is full and juicy, with a very pleasant brackish vein that enters into synergy with the fruit, which on the finish is the protagonist.
Vigne Surrau’s Vermentino di Gallura Sciala is a savory wine, with excellent structure and balance, award-winning by wine critics from all over the Italian peninsula. Certainly among the best Sardinian wines.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Approximate price: 18 €
Vermentino di Sardegna ‘Stellato’ 2019 – Pala
Characteristics: Wide and varied nose, articulated on wild herbs, broom, peach and grapefruit, embellished with notes of pastry and smoky hints. On the palate it flows dense and sinuous, with a savory granular acidity that leaves the mouth very fresh and satisfied. Great persistence with continuous fruity returns.
A glyceric sip wine and at the same time very fresh, pulpy and brackish. Fully among the best Sardinian wines.
Region: Sardinia
Grapes: Vermentino
Approximate price: 18 €
Vermentino di Sardegna ‘VRM – Memorie di Vite’ 2016 – Quartomoro
Nose full of facets, including citrus notes of orange blossom, melon, wild fennel, garrigue and brioche bread. In the mouth it reveals rich, fresh and vigorous, with a pleasantly savory finish that amplifies the sensations, stretching towards a finish of sensational persistence in which the fruit and Mediterranean sensations echo as the protagonist.
Extraordinary interpretation of Vermentino: very complex and seductive olfactory framework, balance and flavor structure. Deservedly among the best Sardinian wines.
Grapes: 100% Vermentino
Region: Sardinia Approximate price: 18 €
Vermentino di Sardegna ‘Tino’ 2019 – Mora&Memo
Characteristics: Aromatic layered profile: opens on notes of peach in syrup, orange blossom flowers, to continue towards tones of wild caper and Mediterranean scrub. On the palate it spreads voluminous, fresh and savory. Well balanced finish, with excellent persistence and cleanliness with references to fruity-floral notes.
An expansive and eloquent wine. Without doubt among the best Sardinian white wines for taste-olfactory complexity and territorial character. Witness of the sensational oenological potential of Sardinia.
Grapes: Vermentino
Region: Sardinia Approximate price: 17 €
What are the best wines of Sardinia?
What is the best wine of Sardinia? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which in any case is inevitably subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary. We have compiled our list of interpretations of virtuous quality of Sardinian wines from the best wineries according to our evaluations.
However, it remains essential to underline that the best Sardinian wines are those that are able to excite us, also by binding themselves to contingent situations and unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to discover all the wineries that produce Sardinian wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently find and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your best Sardinian wines.
