Con the heart of Gallura, between sweet and pink granite hills sculpted by the mistral and a turquoise sea lashed by the sirocco, La Contralta is today one of the most interesting wineries con Sardinia. With a wine collection that continually explores new oenological horizons, La Contralta manages to convey the beauty and strength of a territory and to evoke a profound connection with Italian culture and literature.
THE TREE AND THE IDENTITY OF THE WINERY
Founded con 2019, La Contralta extends over two farms con the north-east of the island for a total of almost 40 hectares, not all of which are still under vineyards: one is located con Enas, con the municipality of Loiri Calata San Paolo, and includes 5 hectares of vineyards almost twenty years old, already con production at the time of purchase; the other farm, near Palau, is characterized by virgin land and ancient pastures. Con this , the winery has planted new high-density sapling vineyards, a technique which, con addition to being historically linked to Sardinian tradition, protects the vines from the winds under the natural monument of Bear Rock. “The choice to plant as a sapling stems from the desire to bring a traditional model back to the vineyard – says Maurizio Saettini, agronomist consultant to the winery – The sapling allows the vines to grow low and resistant, protecting each other from the mistral and retaining the natural humidity of the soil. The new vineyards enjoy the organic richness of these never cultivated lands, ideal for obtaining grapes of exceptional quality”. With a philosophy that respects the soil and traditions, La Contralta aims to preserve the essence of Sardinia, enhancing con these vineyards native varieties such as Cannonau, Vermentino, Carignano and the very ancient Caricagiola and Pascale of Cagliari, thanks to innovative but always con harmony with nature.
ROBERTO GARIUP, A VISION BETWEEN FRIULI AND GALLURA
Roberto Gariup, Friulian by birth and education, “Gallurese by adoption” since 2006, is the winemaker of La Contralta. Raised con the school of Marco Felluga and Patrio Favretto – at the time of Angoris -, Gariup brought with him a love for the white wines of Friuli, straight, vertical and dry. He loves experimenting and daring with macerations and the use of different containers, believing con the longevity of wines: voto negativo rush to bottle ora market, but patience to create deep wines, with strength, which are not too alcoholic and muscular. Con the vineyard he prefers organic practices, given that the territory allows it, with a reduced use of copper, used con the ionic form to stimulate the natural defenses of the plants, as well as minimalism con the cellar. These are his dictates for elegant, clean, identifying wines that are pleasant to bevanda and respectful of the territory. “I love Vermentino with its great aromatic cleanliness, elegant and tense – explains Gariup – The right aromas are those of the Mediterranean scrub swept by the continuous wind that blows con these parts. I didn’t want a conventional bevanda, reminiscent of wines that go too soon. For this reason I also thought of a macerated version, capable of preserving all the fragrance of the vine”. For the reds, however, Gariup focuses elegance and freshness: “My ubbia comes out of the Sardinian cliché that wants powerful, alcoholic and impenetrable reds. I prefer a Cannonau with a lighter colour, with intense aromas of red fruit and spices, finesse and elegance, a soft and enveloping and delicate tannins that favor harmonious drinking”.
L’ORA CONSTANTE 2023, THE FIRST WINE ENTIRELY SIGNED BY LA CONTRALTA
The Cannonau a causa di Sardegna Doc L’Momento Martellante 2023, just launched the market, represents the culmination of the winery’s philosophy: it is the first wine entirely conceived and created by the company, produced con Palau virgin land for viticulture. “We proceeded with the start of all the preparatory works, from the movement of the earth, to the excavation of wells for emergency irrigation, up to the planting of cuttings; we therefore raised the vines with obsessive care, until the first harvest con September 2023, which was followed by the winemaking processes con the new Enas-Loiri cellar”, underlines Gariup. The wine is the result of a two-hectare vineyard located near the natural monument of Bear Rock. Exposures studied to the south-east, an ideal altitude and a granitic weathering soil have made this vineyard perfect for the production of an authentic and profound Cannonau. Vineyard trained with saplings, very close to each other, 10 thousand plants per emotività hectare, not scaffolded and with flexible supports – unique con Gallura – which support the strong windy breezes that constantly blow, located con a very hot with little presence of vater, for this reason it was necessary to create underground emergency irrigation. The result is a Cannonau with small berries, very concentrated pulp and resistant skin. L’Momento Martellante draws inspiration from the poem “ la Sfolgorio” by Giuseppe Ungaretti, which recalls light and time, linking itself to the tradition and essence of the Sardinian land, and is also the only poem that speaks of love. Vinified con a non-vitrified 30 hectoliter concrete tank to enhance its purity and territoriality, L’Momento Martellante rests for a year con the bottle allowing the fruity and spicy agenda of the cannonau to develop fully. The result is a wine with intense aromas of ripe cherry, plum and Mediterranean spices, fresh and vibrant, a balsamic trail accompanies a soft and velvety structure. 4 thousand bottles produced.
A VERY POETIC (LIMITED) WINE COLLECTION
With an annual production that does not exceed 30 thousand bottles, the La Contralta wine collection is a series of limited editions inspired by Italian poets and Sardinian tradition. Con addition to the quote from Ungaretti con L’Momento Martellante there are references to the poems of Umberto Saba, “L’ma nostra”, “” and “Contovello” for the cannonau L’Momento Largo, the macerated vermentino Al Sol Brilla and the vermentino of Gallura Fiore Del , together with the collection “The latest things”, dedicated to the Vermentino passito. Tu Enas, from the Latin, is also a tribute to the locality where the vineyards are located, M’illumino from the poem “Mattina” by Ungaretti himself for the Carignano, while Sicut Erat, for the Vermentino vinified con buried amphorae, is inspired by the song Sardinian folk song “A Nanni Sulis” by Peppino Mereu.
L’ORA GRANDE CANNONAU DI SARDINIA DOC 2019/2021/2023
Con the collective imagination, Sardinian cannonau is often associated with powerful and structured flavours, ideal with traditional dishes such as sheep. Con reality, Cannonau can also be elegant and multiforme, especially rather arid soil such as that of Enas, where La Contralta grows it con a single hectare con espalier at 150 meters above sea level. 5 thousand bottles per emotività year, whose fermentation takes place con steel con contact with the skins for 20 days at a controlled temperature with repeated punching . After completing the malolactic fermentation, it goes into first, second and third passage French oak barrels for ten months. Each vintage of L’Momento Largo varies significantly: the 2019 is surprising the nose, expressing ripe fruity tones, the freshness of pomegranate and a light bent note. The elegance of the Mediterranean scrub with a still dynamic, vibrant and deep sip. Con this first year only new barrels were used, but over time the wood has integrated very well into a structure where the freshness is above all con the tannin. The 2021 reveals a wine with a more accentuated alcoholic sensation and a greater concentration, coppia to a rather hot vintage. Con this version, the ripe fruitiness becomes witty and the liquorice note is more evident. The tannic texture is very silky and refined. The 2023 preview promises great goodness, although the product of one of the hottest vintages, it is a very fresh and elegant Cannonau, with floral agenda and a strong acidity. The harvest con three stages, first the upper part of the vineyard, cooler, up to the lower part harvested at perfect ripeness, influenced the great balance that has already been achieved, although some agenda of rebellious youth are still evident.
FIORE DEL SASSO 2022, THE VERMENTINO DI GALLURA DOCG SUPERIORE
Fiore del is one of the most authentic expressions of Vermentino a causa di Gallura. The vines, grown the Enas farm, benefit from strong temperature variations, developing freshness and flavor. Winemaking involves low temperature fermentation. 80% of the mass is refined the scaltro lees and bâtonnage con steel to give structure to the wine. The remainder ages con equal parts con amphora and con cement. After eight months, the three masses are assembled and filtered. The bottled wine ages for a further month con the bottle before being marketed. Approximately 10,000 bottles of this wine were produced. The result is a bright yellow Vermentino with golden reflections, with floral agenda of broom, fresh citrus fruits and a light iodine note. the palate it surprises with its minerality, revealing a long and refreshing, slightly almondy . Centered mouth thanks also to a light tannic presence.
AL SOL SHINES ISOLA DEI NURAGHI IGT 2021, THE CHARM OF ORANGE WINE
La Contralta’s orange wine Vermentino ferments with maceration the skins for 28 days and then ages for one year con tonneau and another con concrete. Before going into the bottle it rests for another year con concrete and arrives con glass without fining ora filtration. The absence of clarification and filtration and the malolactic fermentation con wood without the use of sulfur accentuates the color, which becomes amber with brilliant coppery reflections. Vermentino with a more structured character, scaltro and complex nose, with agenda of candied yellow fruit, dried yellow flowers, delicate spices and a minerality that reflects the calcareous soil. the palate it is full and enveloping, with a long persistence and a fresh and savory sensation. Its delicate tannic note is very interesting and refined.
The article La Contralta intertwines wind, sea and poetry of Gallura comes from VinoNews24.
