At first the color for a 2018 looked quite brick-like. That gave me a curious expectation and once served, the aromas of hickory and smokiness just hit me.
WINE DETAILS:
- Grape: Monica
- Alcohol: 13%
- Wine: Dolia Monica Di Sardegna
- Vintage: 2018
- Winery: Cantine di Dolianova
- Location: Monica di Sardegna DOC, Sicily, Italy
- Date: 5/15/21
- Distributor: Total Wines
Curious Synonyms: Mora, Monique, Morillo, Nectarea, Pascali, Pensale Nero
Nerd Alert: It’s a grape variety found exclusively on the island of Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy. The variety is thought to have been brought to the island by Spanish conquistadores around the same time as Grenache (known in Sardinia as Cannonau). Monica’s main showcase is in the Monica di Sardegna DOC and is also used in the more location-specific Monica di Cagliari wines, which are produced in dry and sweet fortified styles.
Personal Note: I honestly didn’t know this grape existed until I started my research and I came across it. I recently double checked the wine was a ‘single varietal wine’ and not a blend or a different name for an already tried grape (remind me to write later about my adventure with Cannonau). The fact that this grape is grown exclusively in the island of Sardinia makes it even more enjoyable for this list. This is a gem of a wine for me that came in my brother’s bag last Christmas. Thank you bro’.
This was just fantastic from the second I opened it. At first the color for a 2018 looked quite brick-like. That gave me a curious expectation and once served, the aromas of hickory and smokiness just hit me. Then on palate it was low tannin, mid acidity, mid body, some spices and dry cherry, and full on fantastic. I took the air out and the next day reopened and it was still kicking, although not as vibrant.
When I first read the name of the grape, my first thought was “I know!” as M. Geller would say. Feel free to deduct my age from that statement. Meanwhile James Suckling gave it 91 points while Enthusiast gave it a lackluster 84. This is the perfect example to understand that, if you follow reviewers, it’s important to find the ones that have a similar style of appreciation as you do. Otherwise you will miss opportunities of great wine experiences.
Thoughts?
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*Sources for the wine facts are from: Wine Searcher, Wikipedia, Vivino, wine.com, and the wineries websites.
