Fall 2022 Offer #10: Martis Sero - Vignaioli Cadinu

Vignaioli Cadinu - 2020 “Martis Sero” Rosato

Bottom Line - The Martis Sero Rosato (rosé) is a structured yet lively artisanal wine made from Cannonau grapes. Unlike most rosatos, it manages to be both richly-styled and vibrant at the same time. If you want a rosé that goes with your entire meal, this wine is up to the task. My notes: “Roses, orange, cranberry, menthol, cedar (and more!); so many flavor nuances, all marching in unity; nice persistence with a big push mid-palate, and a pleasing slightly bitter finish. Serious, complex, fresh rosato!”

Vignaioli Cadinu - 2020 “Martis Sero” Cannonau Di Sardegna

Bottom Line - The Martis Sero Connonau is a decadent, brawny red wine that also shows considerable refinement and backbone. The fruit is ripe and the length is formidable. It’s a wine for those of us who have a soft spot for red zinfandel but would prefer something slightly more fresh and light on its feet. My notes: “Fairly dark and ripe; blackberries, smoky plums, hazelnut; firm backbone; easy tannins. Very elegant for a bigger wine.”

To order, just click the one of the links above and follow the prompts. Keep reading for more in-depth information on Vignaioli Cadinu and the Martis Sero wines.

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Wine friends,

The wines of Vignaioli Cadinu come from Mamoiada, in eastern Sardinia. Every bottle of Cadinu wine bears the title “Martis Sero,'' which means “Tuesday Night” in Sardinian dialect. It’s a reference to the final celebration (Fat Tuesday) of the Carnival of Mamoiada, during which the iconic puppet figure “Juvanne Martis Sero” is paraded in town to symbolize the ancestral bond between humans and wine. Winemaker Pino Cadinu hopes to capture some of that Tuesday night spirit in his wines.

Which seems like a pretty good fit for us at Open Tuesday Wines…

As it happens, Pino’s wines are also delicious. The Martis Sero Rosato is like no other Italian wine I’ve tasted. The flavor profile is one of a kind, and the complexity is off the charts. It’s serious but not at all heavy. You simply don’t find many rosatos this good in Italy – or anywhere for that matter.

The Martis Sero Cannonau is similarly unique. We don’t offer many wines above 15% alcohol, but when the overall quality is so obvious, as it is here, I’m inclined to be flexible. I also know that a few of our members want to drink a wine with a bit more fruit and heft from time to time. Importantly, this wine leaves no hint of alcohol flavor on your palate. You may feel the alcohol if you have a second or third glass, but you certainly won't taste it. 

These Martis Sero wines are now featured in some of the nerdiest wine spots in Italy (Cantine Isola in Milano, for example). Wine industry types in Sardinia, including one famous winemaker I spoke with, tell me Martis Sero is a can’t miss project. 

The name vignaioli, much like vignerons in French, suggests a winemaker who farms the land. If you ask Pino why he so prominently features the term vignaioli, he’ll modestly reply, “because good wine is made in the vineyard.”

I’d like to say I realized “martis” meant “martedi” (which is Tuesday in Italian) before going to Mamoiada, but in reality Pino had to explain it to me in person. Nevertheless, I’m thrilled we’re able to represent wines that celebrate a Tuesday night!

Please don’t miss these photos on Vignaioli Cadinu’s Facebook page, especially the ones from the recent harvest.

Here’s Vignaioli Cadinu on the map of Sardinia.

Pino makes only five thousand bottles of wine a year, all from the Cannonau grape. Outside of Sardinia, Cannonau is widely known as Grenache. The varietal very likely originates in Sardinia.

Food pairing: 

According to our friends at Rimessa Roscioli (they have a restaurant), Cannonau pairs best with meat sauce-based pastas, stews, pork dishes, and aged cheeses. I’d add lamb shanks to the list. Pino Cadinu likes to drink his Cannonau with, “Meat, especially roasted beef and veal.”

This Martis Sero rosato would be great with one of my favorite Sardinian dishes: risotto sardo allo zafferano (Sardinian risotto with saffron.) Recently, I had it with a cream of carrot and leek soup, which was a terrific match. A mixed plate of salumi and cheese would work well too. Pino, for his part, likes it with raw fish plates.

These wines are not yet available outside of Italy.

Vignaioli Cadinu - 2020 “Martis Sero” Rosato

13% ABV

Vignaioli Cadinu - 2020 “Martis Sero” Cannonau Di Sardegna

15.5% ABV

To order, just click the links above and follow the prompts.

Happy Tuesday,

Chris

If you have any questions or feedback, please email us: [email protected].  

How it works: 

After clicking one of the links above, you’ll be able to request 1-12 bottles. Actually, that’s all you have to do!

About a week later, when we close the offer, you’ll get an email confirming how many bottles we allocated to your account. We will charge you when the wines are allocated.

We’ll do our best to allocate all the bottles you request. But when there are more requests than bottles available, we’ll allocate one bottle to all requesting members before allocating a second bottle to anyone. We want as many members as possible to try these wines.

This is the 10th of 18 offers during the fall season. Through the first week of November, we are sending offers on Thursday and Sunday, and the Open Tuesday re-up on Tuesdays.

We ship in increments of 12. With 18 offers this season, there should be plenty of chances to get to 12, 24, or 36. If you don’t have an increment of 12 at the end of the fall season offers, we can hold your wines until the next offer season – spring 2023.

Wines offered in the fall will ship in late November-early December for $5 per bottle (if you have an increment of 12.) This is about the same as the price to ship coast-to-coast within the U.S. – but our wines come directly from Italy.

Once your payment method is on file, you can make future requests with just a few clicks from the offer email. If you don’t have a card on file, you can add one during your first order. Your personal financial information is protected by Stripe.

Chris MacLean

Rob Genova

Open Tuesday Wines S.r.l.s.

Via Augusto Anfossi 19, 20135 Milano - Italy