Costera Cannonau di Sardegna

Romazini: 5/5 Stars

Full bodied fruit and spice. A classic with mediteraneean food. The last few vintages with incredible finesse. BEST VALUE!

Robert Parker: 90/100 Points

The 2007 Costera is the finest of these entry-level bottlings. A massive, generous wine, it literally bursts onto the palate with waves of game, earthiness, mint, spices, herbs and bacon fat notes that swirl around a core of ripe, dark fruit. There is outstanding harmony and balance in the glass, especially at this price point. Costera is 90% Cannonau, 5% Carignano and 5% Bovale Sardo, (all native varieties), that spent roughly 6-8 months in French oak. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012.

This is a superb set of value-priced wines from Argiolas, one of Sardinia's historic properties. I am told that at age 102 Antonio Argiolas still pays a daily visit to the property.

Gambero Rosso: 2/3 Bicchieri

Stephen Tanzer: 88/100 Points

Vintage 2006: Deep ruby with inky highlights. Full, rich and spicy on the nose, with scents of ripe raspberry, tobacco and balsamic mint. Nicely delineated and sweet, with a strong raspberry quality dominating the palate. Finishes quite smooth, with more tobacco and balsamic notes. One of the better Costera bottlings I remember at a similar age of development, with less vegetility and more ripe fruit than some past efforts. A very good example of what grenache, the grape that the Sardinians call cannonau, can do on the island, but this finer, more austere rendition of the grape may disappoint those who prefer the luscious, jammy style of some Australian or southern Rhone behemoths.