If you are looking for a Grenache with a difference, Garnacha not Guerra is for you. A fabulous interpretation of Cannonau / Grenache from clay – sand soils over granite in Sardinia. Mick O’Connell MW has basically taken one variable out (picking date is always in the couple of days before 1st September) so the wine can show clearly how the vintage treats Grenache in the two plots he picks each year.

Winemaking is the same each year, using whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation, foot treading, a short maceration, no oak use, no fining or filtration and only a tiny bit of SO2 is used at bottling.

The biggest difference between 2017 and 2018 was that 2017 was ridiculously hot and dry and it shows in the firmness and structure of the wine. But 2018, by Sardinian standards, was cool and wet producing a much prettier, juicy, bright style with a much lighter colour. A short maceration is employed partly because Mick isn’t too concerned about the wine’s colour and also because he tries to avoid any astringency being extracted from the stems.

The story of the label – When Mick had the original idea of making a wine in Sardinia, he really wanted it to be the antithesis of the other red wines he was drinking there, most of which were flabby, oaky and just flat lacking freshness. So the answer was doing the opposite of everything the other producers were doing. He couldn’t go and call it Cannonau then depsite the fact the fruit could all be classed as Cannonau di Sardegna DOC.

There’s a bit of graffiti in a town called Orgosolo near where he sources some of the fruit which says “concimi non proiettili” which means “compost not bullets” – Mick absolutely loved that name but couldn’t say the last word – very tough Italian pronunciation! But it did inspire his wine’s original name.

For the 2017 vintage Mick moved into the corner of a winery where previously he had been in a garage. Since moving in there he’s had to play by their rules which has meant having to adjust the labels a bit. Because he’s only claiming classification as a “table wine” legally there shouldn’t be a vintage on the label, so 2018 is being called V4 or Version 4.

There’s also a bit of funniness around the use of “Garnacha” or not – for Vino Rosso you can use an international variety but because there is a DOC with Cannonau in the name you can’t use synonyms of Cannonau unless you claim the DOC. So the 2017 and 2018 labels have been renamed G not Guerra.

Cancedda O’Connell Garnacha not Guerra 2018 V4, Sardinia, 12 Abv.

The fourth vintage of this wine harks back to the maiden 2015 with its light 12 percent alcohol and crystalline, translucent purity. Mouthwatering and seductive the 2018 is fabulously pale in colour, almost like a rosato. But there is nothing timid about this wine whatsoever with its superbly lifted aromatics of sun raisined red cherries, cranberries and red plum spice. Delicate notes of dried tangerine peel and wild botanical herbal notes add an extra complex dimension to the wine. The palate is resplendently light, pure and elegant with the texture of a fine Pinot Noir with the mid palate plumped up with sweet sappy cherry fruits, tart cranberry, grilled Mediterranean herbs and a spicy, peppery note on the finish. Seamless and silky, vibrant and deliciously fresh, this wine has a real inner harmony and beauty that will seduce on the first sip. Possibly my favourite vintage yet.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)