Barrua Isola dei Nuraghi IGT

Barrua is a prime example of what Sardinia can achieve when old Carignano vines meet one of Italy's most astute oenologists. Giacomo Tachis – the creator of Sassicaia and Tignanello – developed this wine for Agricola Punica and set the bar accordingly high.

Agricola Punica was created as a joint project between the Sardinian Cantina di Santadi and the Tuscan group Sassicaia. The vines in Sulcis, in southwestern Sardinia, grow on red, iron-rich granite sand – a soil that gives Carignano its unusual depth. Eighteen months of aging in barriques rounds out the wine without dominating it.

In the glass: dark blackberry, cherry jam, and black olive, with notes of licorice, dried myrtle, and a hint of cedar from the barrel. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, velvety tannins, good structure, and a long, slightly spicy finish.

• Dishes: Leg of lamb with rosemary, wild boar salami, mature Pecorino Sardo
• Temperature: 17–18 °C
• Drinking window: now until 2030