The Cannonau grape variety is local to the Italian island of Sardinia, where it is one of the principal grapes used to produce the island’s deeply coloured, full-bodied red wines such as Cannonau di Sardegna DOC.
A thin-skinned, late-ripening variety, Cannonau is best suited to hot and dry conditions. The wines it produces are typically full-bodied and high in alcohol, with soft acidity, light tannins, and generous red fruit flavours. You can also find some floral and white pepper notes.
Cannonau’s origins
Cannonau has thrived on Sardinia for centuries in isolation, however DNA analysis shows that it is genetically identical to Grenache. It is thought that the grape arrived in the 14th century, when the Kingdom of Aragon conquered Sardinia.
The variety is grown in a number of different locations but the majority can be found on the east of the island encompassing both the coast, from Orosei to Bari Sardo, and the mountainous interior around the Nuoro, Ogliastra and Cagliari provinces.
‘Of the 41 grape varieties planted in Sardinia, the Cannonau di Sardegna DOC represents the largest vineyard area, at a little more than a quarter of all plantings,’ said Anthony Rose in 2022.
Three smaller sub-regions have been officially identified as producing quality Cannonau including Nepente di Oliena, reserved exclusively for wines made in the town of Oliena, in the eastern Nuoro province; Capo Ferrato comprises the communes of Castiadas, Muravera, San Vito, Villaputzu and Villasimius in the island’s southeastern corner and finally, Jerzu, which applies to the Jerzu and Cardedu districts.
In addition to Sardinia, Cannonau can be found in other parts of southern Italy, including Sicily,
Cannonau’s style
‘How would I describe the character of Cannonau, versus Grenache? For me, it has more freshness, and more red berry flavours, because Cannonau is harvested earlier than many Grenache wines,’ winemaker Antonella Corda told Decanter in 2020.
Higher altitudes can help to mitigate the natural high alcohol of Cannonau, as well as bolstering the low acidity and emphasising its floral character thanks to large temperauture fluctuations between day and night. For this reason, the wines of Mamoiada in the hilly centre of the island are gaining traction.
The Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
The Cannonau di Sardegna DOC was established in 1972 and covers the entire island, producing both red and rosé wines from the Cannonau grape. The red wines may be produced in three styles; dry, sweet or fortified.
The dry reds must be a minimum of 12.5% alcohol-by-volume. They can also be produced in a riserva style with strict regulations controlling ageing requirements and minimum alcohol levels – these wines must have at least 13% ABV and an obligatory ageing period (known as affinamento obbligatorio) of two years, including at least six months in barrels, of which oak and chestnut are the more popular options.
The sweet style is known as passito and must have a minimum of 13% ABV while the fortified expressions, produced in both sweet and dry styles, are labelled as liquoroso. The dry liquoroso ‘secco’ must have a maximum residual sugar level of 10g/l and a minimum 18% ABV while the sweet Liquoroso dolce must have a minimum residual sugar level of 50g/l and a minimum 16% ABV. Both the passito and liquoroso styles have have a minimum one-year ageing requirement.
