Cagnulari

Cagnulari, also known as Graciano (or Cagliunari in Alghero), is a red grape variety native to Sardinia whose ideal soil is found in a narrow area in the northwest of the island, which coincides with the territory included in the “Alghero” DOC.

It is still cultivated today using the Sardinian sapling system or low espaliers and, thanks to the calcareous clay soil and sunny aspect, it is enriched with sugars and polyphenols that give the wine an interesting complexity, especially when aged in wood.

Cagnulari shares many similarities with Bovale, a grape variety that it is often likened to, so much so that it is thought to have been introduced during the Spanish domination.
As a single varietal wine it is fairly recent, the result of the commitment of a few producers who believed in the variety and prevented it from becoming extinct: in the past it was often used to blend other red wines or sold in bulk for local consumption.

Wine made from Cagnulari has a ruby-red color and intense aromas of wild berries, with spicy notes and balsamic accents. On the palate, Cagnulari wine is dry, slightly tannic, yet balanced.