# Caladu Cannonau di Sardegna (2021)

- **Producer:** Cardedu
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cannonau
- **Region:** Sardegna, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, raspberry, cherry, herbaceous, black pepper, smoke, leather, tobacco, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Cardedu is a project by the historic Vitivinicola Alberto Loi estate, located in the Ogliastra sub-region on the sparsely populated southeast coast of Sardinia. Winemaker Sergio Loi represents the fourth generation of his family to cultivate Cannonau in the Jerzu area, maintaining a deep connection to the island's viticultural heritage. The estate focuses on producing raw, non-interventionist wines that capture the wild, maritime character of Sardinia. The name 'Caladu' translates to 'sunset' in the local Sardinian language, reflecting its traditional role as a wine to be enjoyed as twilight falls over the Mediterranean.

## Interesting facts

- Caladu translates to 'sunset' in Sardinian, named as the ultimate red wine to pour as twilight falls over the Mediterranean.
- Fermented in 1950s unlined concrete tanks built directly beneath the family home.
- The importer was once served this wine alongside Casu Marzu, the infamous, illegal Sardinian maggot cheese.

## Food pairing

This wine's vibrant acidity and dusty, rustic tannins make it exceptionally food-friendly. It cuts beautifully through the richness of fatty meats like slow-roasted pork, while its savory, mineral-driven profile complements grilled herbs and gamey flavors without overpowering them.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Caladu is defined by minimal intervention and a complete absence of oak. Grapes are hand-harvested in late September from dry-farmed, organically managed vines grown on decomposed pink granite soils. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using 100% wild, native yeasts in unlined concrete and cement tanks dating back to the 1950s, which are located beneath the family home. The wine undergoes an 11-day skin-contact maceration before aging for at least three years in these historic cement vessels. To preserve its pure terroir expression, the wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined with minimal sulfur additions.