Agricola Punica Samas 2016 Front Bottle Shot
Agricola Punica Samas 2016 Front Bottle Shot Agricola Punica Samas 2016 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

Samas is named after the Punic God of the Sun. Vermentino and Chardonnay grapes grown in sandy soil are hand harvested at dawn to maintain characteristic varietal notes and freshness. On the palate this wine is silky and well balanced by a moderate alcohol content (12.5%), good salinity and freshness notes. To be stored at medium - low temperatures on the range of 59 - 63 °F and to be served a bit cooler (around 54 - 55 °F). It matches very well all fish-made dishes, any white meat or it can be simply savored as aperitif.

Professional Ratings

  • 92
    The dried pear and apple with hints of lemon aromas are impressive. Full body, waxy and rich. Lots of fruit. Excellent as always.
Agricola Punica

Agricola Punica

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With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

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Hailed for centuries as a Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, multiple cultures over many centuries have ruled the large island of Sardinia. Set in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Phonoecians, Ancient Rome, and subsequently the Byzantines, Arabs and Catalans have all staked a claim on the island at some point in history. Along the way, these inhabitants transported many of their homeland’s prized vines and today Sardinia’s modern-day indigenous grape varieties claim multiple origins. Sardinia’s most important red grapes—namely Cannonau (a synonym for Grenache) and Carignan—are actually of Spanish origin.

Vermentino, a prolific Mediterranean variety, is the island’s star white. Vermentino has a stronghold the Languedoc region of France as well as Italy’s western and coastal regions, namely Liguria (where it is called Pigato), Piedmont (where it is called Favorita) and in Tuscany, where it goes by the name, Vermentino. The best Vermentino, in arguably all of the Mediterranean, grows in Sardinia's northeastern region of Gallura where its vines struggle to dig roots deep down into north-facing slopes of granitic soils. These Vermentino vines produce highly aromatic, full and concentrated whites of unparalleled balance.

Today aside from its dedication to viticulture, Sardinia remains committed to maintaining its natural farmlands, bucolic plains of grazing sheep and perhaps most of all, its sandy, sunny, Mediterranean beaches.

YNG170603_2016 Item# 434599