Pala Centosere Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2023

Pala Centosere Cannonau di Sardegna DOC is a vibrant and elegant red wine from Sardinia, Italy, crafted from 100% Cannonau grapes. This medium-bodied wine offers enticing aromas of ripe cherries, red berries, and Mediterranean herbs, with a refined palate featuring notes of plum, spice, and a hint of minerality, balanced by soft tannins and bright acidity.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Medium-bodied, Supple, Fruit-driven
Grape Varietal: Cannonau (Grenache)
Tastes Like: Comparable to a Grenache, but fresher and more medium-bodied than a warm-climate example, with softer tannins
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Region: Serdiana, Southern Sardinia, Italy
Terroir: Medium-hill clay and limestone soils with an abundance of stones, from the Is Crabilis (Serdiana) and Acquasassa (Ussana) vineyards
Aging: Fermented and aged in stainless steel and cement tanks, with no oak
Serving Temperature: 16–18℃ – Serve slightly below room temperature

Pala is a family winery in Serdiana, a short drive north of Cagliari in southern Sardinia. The family’s winemaking roots reach back to Battistino Pala, born in 1873, and his son Salvatore founded the cantina in 1950. In the 1980s and 1990s Mario Pala replanted and restored the vineyards and lifted the quality of the wines, building Pala into one of the island’s best-known names.

Cannonau is Sardinia’s signature red grape, known elsewhere as Grenache. Centosere is sourced from two vineyards on medium hillsides, Is Crabilis in Serdiana and Acquasassa in nearby Ussana, where the clay and limestone soils are full of stones. The grapes are picked by hand, destemmed and macerated for six to seven days, then fermented and aged in stainless steel and cement tanks, with no oak, to keep the focus on fruit and freshness.

Meat: Perfect with roast pork, lamb cutlets or grilled sausages
Pasta: Excellent with malloreddus, culurgiones or a slow-cooked ragù
Barbecue: Pairs beautifully with chargrilled meats and vegetables
Cheese: Ideal with Pecorino Sardo and other aged sheep’s milk cheeses

Pecorino Sardo: Sardinia’s own sheep’s milk cheese, firm and tangy against the wine’s ripe fruit
Fiore Sardo: A lightly smoked Sardinian pecorino, matched by the wine’s warmth and body
Manchego: Nutty aged sheep’s milk, a natural partner for Grenache-based wines
Taleggio: Soft and savoury, freshened by the wine’s acidity

Malloreddus alla Campidanese (Sardinian Gnocchetti with Sausage, Tomato and Saffron)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 400g dried malloreddus (Sardinian gnocchetti)
• 350g fresh Italian pork sausages, skins removed
• 800g tinned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 generous pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• A few basil leaves
• 80g Pecorino Sardo, finely grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then crumble in the sausage meat.
3. Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is lightly browned.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and the saffron with its soaking water. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy.
6. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the malloreddus for about 12–14 minutes until al dente.
7. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and remove the bay leaves from the sauce.
8. Toss the pasta through the sauce with half the pecorino, loosening with a splash of cooking water if needed.
9. Serve in warm bowls, scattered with torn basil and the remaining pecorino.

Malloreddus alla campidanese takes its name from the Campidano plain in southern Sardinia, the same corner of the island as Pala’s home in Serdiana. Cannonau’s generous fruit and supple, medium-weight body stand up to the sausage and tomato, while its freshness and gentle tannins cut through the richness of the pecorino and keep the saffron in balance.