A Sardinian Sale

Talk about a knockout value for those of the Rhone persuasion:

Argiolas Costera 2006

A deeply ruby colored Sardinian Cannonau (Grenache), along w/ Carignan and Bovale Sardo, is full of Vacqueyras-esque elements of bramble, dark plum sauce, dried strawberry preserve, pepper and graphite aromatics. The fleshy palate zips along a fine mineral beam & is enshrouded in a firm underlying structure. This is much heartier & denser than the modest price-point suggests & should prove to hit the spot for just about any weekday Rhone warrior. Welcome to a new alternative to Bistro wine, Italian style. This puppy blows away most any CDR in the respective price range and is staggeringly consistent from vintage to vintage, 89+ points.

Anyone that is familiar w/ cuvee from Perrin et Fils called ‘Les Christins’ should expect an equivalent performance from Costera. To be honest, the wines are so similar in value, quality and profile, it blows my mind that one is a Vacqueyras and the other is from Sardinia?!

Another fine value from Argiolas is their white Costamolino, a Vermentino from Sardinia that also over-delivers for its trivial tariff & is full of restrained tropical notions that pulse along a lithe, fresh profile. Recent vintages of this cuvee have been as easy a case purchase as any & should satiate a wide variety of adventurous palates. Between the breadth, consistency & value of producers such as Argiolas and Falesco, it makes me wonder why more of my smart money isn’t directed towards Italy?

Have to try the 'Perdera' cuvee next...