Argiolas Costera
Wine Description
Argiolas is the foremost wine estate on the island of Sardinia producing archetypal wines from native varietals. The winery was founded in 1938 by Antonio Argiolas and was the first on the island to pursue quality over quantity. Today, the Argiolas family is recognized as Sardinia’s leading producer of wine.
Costera, a name referring to hills, is made from Cannonau (Garnacha or Grenache). It is the workhorse red grape of Sardinia where it is likely to have arrived centuries ago from Spain, although an alternative theory suggests that Cannonau originated in Sardinia. In either case, Cannonau is well-adapted to the warm Sardinian climate and gives a deeply-colored, full-bodied red wine.
Acclaim
Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
The Costera vineyard
Vineyard size
88 acres
Soil composition
Pebbly, Calcareous Clay-Loam
Training method
Guyot Gobelet
Elevation:
725 feet
Vines/acre:
2,200
Yield/acre:
2.0-2.4 tons
Exposure:
Southeastern
Year vineyard planted:
1975-1980
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
1990
Bottles produced of this wine:
350,000
Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
2 days cool maceration prior to 3-4 week fermentation
Varietal composition:
90% Cannonau, 5% Bovale Sardo, 5% Carignano
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
3-4 weeks days
Fermentation temperature:
73 °F
Maceration technique:
Cold Soak Maceration and Racking
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques and Cement vats
Size of aging container:
225 L (Barriques)
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
8-10 months (Barriques) and 5 months (Cement vats)
Age of Aging Container:
Two years (Barriques)
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
Total SO2
136
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.6
Acidity:
5.4 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Dry extract:
30.9 g/L
Total SO2
136
Residual sugar:
0.78 g/L
See Brand
