Attending a large-scale wine tasting with over 150 producers represented reminds me of a major league tryout camp. The usual suspects always turn up, a couple of can’t miss prospects that are showing well, and that unexpected gem that appears from out of nowhere. Except in this case, nowhere is Sardinia.
Those who have read previous reviews have probably noticed that I often favor authentic wines, which are the creations of makers who take the road less traveled than the superstrada of standardization. Alessandro Dettori freely admits and takes pride in the fact that his wines are what they are and are not crafted to the expectations of others.
Tudori is 100% Cannonau, and from the moment it spills into the glass, it is obviously not ordinary. Its tomato juice color and consistency are telltale signs that it hasn’t been fined, filtered, or clarified and would be an immediate deal killer for those used to more extracted versions of the grape.
The production philosophy is to play down tannic strength and remove any semblance of heaviness in the texture and mouthfeel, allowing the true nature of Cannonau to emerge. The result is hard to define. There is definitely less of a “garrigue” presence and bite.
The fruits are mellow and roll smoothly across the tongue. It doesn’t exactly have finesse in contrast to other Sardinian reds… maybe less rough and rustic? Put it like this..you try it, and in the spirit of Signore Dettori, you nod in satisfaction or put it down and walk away.