Carignano del Sulcis

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The two minor islands of Sant'Antioco and San Pietro form part of the Sulcis wine-growing area; the former covers approximately 108 km² and is connected to the mainland by an isthmus, while the latter is a true island of around 50 km².
• The vineyard soils include Entisols and Inceptisols at varying stages of development, as well as Alfisols with clay accumulations at depth and illuvial carbonate hardpans.
• The area between Narcao and Santadi is a plain of Quaternary alluvial material deposited over volcanic rocks or over the Cixerri formations, which are composed of sands, conglomerates, and clays.
• The island of Sant'Antioco is predominantly volcanic in origin, with Cretaceous limestones in the south-eastern part and a sandy bank to the north near Calasetta that is home to the island's oldest viticulture.
• The climate of Sulcis is sub-tropical in character, with mean annual temperatures close to 17 °C and scarce rainfall, often below 600 mm per year, while salt-laden winds significantly influence vine cultivation, especially on the minor islands.
• The island of San Pietro is predominantly hilly, with a landscape characterised by acid volcanic rocks of ignimbritic type.

• The Carignano variety is thought to have been introduced to Sardinia by the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians, who held long dominion over the Sulcis region through the Punic cities of Solci and Nora.
• An alternative hypothesis holds that the variety was imported from the Iberian Peninsula during the period of Spanish rule, as suggested by the local dialect name for Carignano, "Axina de Spagna", meaning "Grape of Spain".
• On the sandy soils of the island of Sant'Antioco, the vine is traditionally cultivated on its own roots, as phylloxera has caused no damage in this type of terrain.
• Carignano on the island of Sant'Antioco is traditionally grown on its own roots and trained in the form known as "alberello latino" (low bush-vine), a defining feature of Sulcis viticulture since antiquity.
• The wine industry of the area was born in 1932 with the founding of the Cantina Sociale di Calasetta, followed in 1949 by the Cantina Sociale di S. Antioco and in 1960 by the Cantina Sociale di Santadi.

• Carignano del Sulcis presents a ruby-red colour of varying intensity, with an intense vinous nose and a dry, sapid, and harmonious palate.
• In the types refined after a period of ageing in barrel, the wine takes on the typical deep ruby colour, aromas of plum and blackcurrant, and a warm, intense, and persistent palate.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1172
• Official trade body site — Laore Sardegna