2001 Tenuta Dettori Tenores

The 2001 Tenores, a full ruby in color, features grilled and macerated cherries in its warm, spicy, and peppery aromas, broad and caressing flavors, a silky texture, and much intensity on its high alcohol finish. Drink: 2004-2012. If these wines tend to remind one of Chateauneuf-du-Pape there’s a reason – Cannonau is Grenache (or Garnacha), brought to Sardinia by the crown of Aragon during the centuries of Spanish domination of the island. And here, unlike most of the south of France or the rest of Sardinia, it is used entirely on its own, without any attempt to blend in other grapes. The Dettori family’s vineyards are located in the northwest corner of Sardinia, far away from the classic area of cultivation of Cannonau in the island’s south and southeast. But the grape has a long history here and has obviously adapted well to the local soil and climate, to judge both by the quality of the wines and the age of the vineyards, 40 to 60 years in the case of Tenores, 60 to 120 in the case of Dettori. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200