2014 Agricola Punica Barrua Isola Dei Nurghi IGT 750 ml

A Wine That Was 5,000 Years in the Making

You could say that the 2014 Agricola Punica Barrua is a wine that’s been more than 5,000 years in the making. Not that there haven’t been plenty of delicious reds produced on Sardinia in the past few thousand years, but this one brings together everything that makes the fabled island such a legend. Think of it as the Sassicaia of the South, a “Super-Sardinian” that re-defines what the island is capable of.

A lot of it, of course, is who’s producing it: The partnership behind Agricola Punica includes Tenuta San Guido, which crafts Sassicaia, and the House of Santadi. It was started back in 2002 by Giacomo Tachis, who over the years produced Tignanello and Solaia in addition to Sassicaia. Before his death, Decanter said that he “belongs to that small, select group who changed the course of Italian wine.”

Tasting Panel pointed out the obvious in their 94-point review: “The Sassicaia folks can clearly make great wine in Sardinia, too!”

Of course they can. Because much like that 100-point Super-Tuscan legend, the 2014 Agricola Punica Barrua finds a way to appeal to both fans of New World fruit and polish as well as devotees of Old World ties to terroir. The effusive blend combines Carignano with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in striking fashion, and the fact that it does so while remaining less than $50 per bottle is frankly unbelievable. The same vintage of Sassicaia, by comparison, will run you close to $200.

In other words, the pedigree here is spectacular. So, too, is the land in which this Carignano-dominant blend is grown. Sulcis, in the southern end of Sardinia, is a region of dramatic landscapes and wines that echo the stunning geography. Stony cliffs fall vertiginously into the sea, the sun reflecting off the pristine Mediterranean and lending ripeness and energy to wines that are instantly recognizable. Sunrises and sunsets are dramatic affairs, the sky and the water painted a thousand colors, whose infinite hues are reflected in every sip of the best wines from the island.

Which this one most certainly is. James Suckling, in his 95-point rave, called their 2014 effort a “fascinating wine with real personality,” and praised its “aromas of rosemary, lavender, blackberries and black licorice [that] follow through to a full body that shows licorice, walnut shell, tar and dark fruit.”

This wine represents the apex of Sardinian reds. And at less than $50 each, a case can also be made for it being one of the great values of high-end reds throughout all of Italy. At five years of age, this is starting to hit its sweet spot, and promises to only get better from here.