Azienda Agricola Schirru Arrogusu Rosso 2022 750ml

Organic. 95% Monica; 5% Bovalleddu, Tintillu, Cannonau, Barbera, Girò -- all coplanted in this very old, intense vineyard site. 'Arrògusu' is the Sardinian word for 'pieces' or 'shreds;' the name represents the old viticultural practice of extreme 'parcelization,' typical of the territory, where historically, single plots rarely exceeded one hectare and often belonged to many owners. Here Schirru tries to unite many tiny old plots in this vineyard called 'Senussi' into a single wine, a direct expression of terroir. The clone of Monica that is in this vineyard is a particularly old one and endemic to the interior of Sardegna. This is the highest plot Schirru owns at 500msl; it's on pure schist soils with almost no topsoil; the vines here are both 65 and 120 years old. Harvest is always by hand and separated out into mini-lots within different pockets of the vineyard. Fermentations happen in a mix of neutral barriques and steel; the final blend is about 2/3 wood to 1/3 steel. Aging for 12 months on fine lees, unfined, unfiltered. A magisterial wine of structure, in need of time, an attentive drinker, and probably a plate of Fiore Sardo; it reminds us of the great red wines of the southern Rhône, but wilder, more scrubby and free.