Carignano del Sulcis
Production of this characteristic wine is almost totally concentrated in the Sulcis, a zone between the final mountain range of south-western Sardinia and the sea. It was probably the Phoenicians, founders of ancient Sulci on the isle of Sant'Antioco, who introduced the vine to Sardinia.The area under cultivation is only around 1,700 hectares, but despite this, Carignano may be considered one of the most important and prestigious of all Sardinian wines. The capability of the vine to resist salt sea-borne winds has allowed cultivation on the sandy soil of Sulcis, in a hot, sunny zone, where the low yield per vine confers a vigour and richness of perfume to the wine. A deep red wine results from this balance between climate and soil, with warm perfumes of plums and cherries, sweet spices, chocolate, liquorice and black pepper. The taste is aristocratic and well-balanced, suggesting soft, elegant tannin overtones. Recognised as DOC in 1977, it is marketed as DOC Carignano del Sulcis.
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DOC CARIGNANO DEL SULCIS |
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Vine |
Min. 85% Carignano, max. 15% other black grapes |
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cultivated in Sardinia |
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Zone of production |
The municipalities of the historical subregion of Sulcis, |
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in the province of Cagliari |
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Grape yield |
Max. 110 quintals/hectare |
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Wine yield |
Max. 65% red and 60% rose |
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Typology and alcohol content |
Rose (min. 11.5°); Red (min. 12.0°); |
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Red reserve (min. 12.5°); Red superior (min. 13.0°); |
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New wine (min. 11.5°); |
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Fortified wine (16.0°, 2.0° of which to be developed) |
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Ageing |
Min. 2 years in barrels, at least 6 months of which refining |
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in bottles for Reserve and Superior typologies and 6 months |
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for Straw wine, at least 3 of which in bottles. |
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Carignano