Uras, I Garagisti di Sorgono 2017 Cannonau di Sardegna

One of Top-100 wines of Italy. Powerful and bold, with flavours of blackberry, cherry liqueurs and cinnamon

Uras by “I Garagisti” is Sardinia’s response to vins de garage: a movement born on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. During the 80’s, some of the best winemakers in Saint-Émilion put the strict rules of the appellation system aside to make full-bodied, incredibly ripe red wines in tiny quantities.

We spoke to Pietro Uras, the winemaker: he said that just like the Saint-Émilion rebels, he has thrown out the rulebook to create this bold, dense wine with rich flavours of blackberry and cherry. It is undoubtedly a top-quality wine: the 2016 vintage won Decanter Gold, while the 2017 vintage lifted two medals – Decanter Bronze and The WineHunter Gold. Most importantly, it was listed as one of Top-100 wines of Italy.

In the mountainous heart of Sardinia, on top of the Sa Sedda hill in Pardu and Cresia, lies an eighty-year-old vineyard. It was planted on the white granite soil by the grandfather of Pietro Uras – the current owner and the man behind this wine. Cannonau is one of the most ancient grapes in the Mediterranean, with recent excavations dating it back 3,200 years. It’s also very specific to Sardinia.

We are proud to be the first to present this wine in the UK. It is scarce, with only 2,300 bottles made for the whole world. Luckily, we’ve managed to get hold of a few cases, so be quick if you want to try it.

Wine Geek’s verdict: this wine pushes the concept of rich and deep taste to its limit. The winemaker hasn’t subscribed to any appellation rules, and basically made the wine he wanted to. OK, 9 times out of 10 it’s a recipe for disaster but this one turned to be a hit – just look at the medals. This wine has a very thick, viscous texture, and quite a bit of alcohol – so be careful. I’d say it tastes like melted cherry liqueur chocolates.

Awards: The WineHunter, Merano Wine Festival 2020 – One of Top-100 wines of Italy (2017 vintage) | The WineHunter – Gold Medal (2017 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 – Bronze (2017 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 – Gold (2016 vintage)