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Ciogga's Review:

Carnevale 2005 was one of only 4 Sardinian wines to make the "Vini Dell'Eccellenza" list in the 2008 L'Espresso guidebook. It's a heady 15.5% alcohol, which is strong even for a Sardinian Cannonau (though not quite as weighty as its big brother, the stupendous Ballu Tundu, which weighs in at 16%). Ruby red in colour and full of vanilla, spices, woody forest fruits and cherries; tannin notes are elegant and smooth and less obvious than in a Turriga by Argiolas, for example. This is a top-of-the-range Cannonau that sells for about 22 in Sardinian off-licences and about 35-40 in restaurants. It would go equally well with strong meats, cheeses or just a relatively simple pasta dish as it is surprisingly light on its feet for such a muscular red.

Ciogga's Review:

A light to medium bodied white, which sells for about 7 in Sardinia. This is a well-balanced wine, well-structured with a fair amount of fruit (lemony apples and pears) and a slightly almondy aftertaste which lasts for a long time. An extremely pleasant bottle of white wine if you can find it!

Ciogga's Review:

This isn't a bad Carignano but it isn't a great one either. Buio Buio costs twice as much as this here little brother and it tastes like it does too! No real aftertaste to speak of despite the fact that the first couple of "my goodness, this ain't bad" seconds leave you wanting and expecting more. You could do much much worse, but Buio (for now) isn't even approaching Terre Brune's levels of Carignano goodness!

Ciogga's Review:

This was probably the best value wine in Sardinia about 6 years ago with an average price of around 4,500 lire (1.50!). Since then the price has shot up to around 5 euros but it's still a warm, fruity wine which is an unbeatable introduction to lower-end Sardinian reds. My family took home a crate of the stuff when they came here with the car a couple of years back. It's more of a wine that you'd find in a supermarket than in a restaurant (no shame in that, it knows its place!) and it's great value for money. This wine's "rapporto qualita/prezzo" is exceptional so I'd highly recommend it.

Ciogga's Review:

This wine (the 2005 version) has just won a "tre bicchieri" award from the prestigious Vini d'Italia 2009 Gambero Rosso guide and I got 2 bottles for Christmas! It's a well-balanced albeit quite spicy wine, not quite the punch in the face that some Sardinian cannonaus can be at 'just' 13.5 alcohol. Any winner of the 'tre bicchieri' is worth a try and I enjoyed this one with friends on Boxing Day along with good cheese and a selection of cold meats.

Ciogga's Review:

My favourite Vermentino. Light and flowery, with aromas of citrus and pear which feel fresh in the mouth, it's still rich enough to be drunk with seafood and give you the warm, satisfying feeling that you're eating well! As a well-chilled aperitif, it's also second-to-none. Cala Silente usually retails at around 8 euros in Sardinia and as such is one of the bargains.

Ciogga's Review:

This wine absolutely flies off the shelf in most Sardinian cheap to mid-priced restaurants/pizzerias (along with Grotta Rossa) as its "qualita-prezzo" is unbeatable. I've heard that it's our version of Chateauneuf du Pape but I couldn't comment on that. It's a medium to full bodied wine that tastes of mature fruit and finishes with a lingering tannin. You would expect to pay around 7 euros for a bottle in Sardinia or 12 to 15 in a restaurant.

Ciogga's Review:

Great entry-level Sardinian red made with the Carignano grape. It's not too strong, has a beautiful ruby colour and works well with just about any food. It's smooth and slightly peppery and I prefer this wine to its elder brother, Rocca Rubia, which costs twice the price. It's not at all acidic and has plenty of tannin to work with too. In Sardinia it retails at around 6 euros or about 12 to 15 in a restaurant.

Ciogga's Review:

If you're willing to pay a bit extra for a top-of-the-class Sardinian blend then this is well worth considering. Cannonau, Carignano and Bovale in roughly equal proportions, this wine is 14% alcohol and a full on mature-fruit explosion with hints of almonds and oak. It costs around 20 euros here in Sardinia, or double that in a restaurant, and will not let you down with your Sunday roast or with stronger cheeses.

Ciogga's Review:

I'm generally not a great fan of Monica-grape wines but this is one of the exceptions. It costs 6 to 7 euros here in Sardinia, or 15 in a restaurant. It has a very pleasant nose, slight liquorice overtones and it's not especially plummy! It probably needs to be drunk young; I can't see it keeping for more than a year or two.