This time I want to start from the empty glass. “Empty,” so to speak, since Festa Norìa leaves behind in the glass something as fragrant and intoxicating as one could imagine. For some time now, I’ve made a habit of going back to smell the glass of passito and sweet wines about half an hour after it’s been completely emptied. I invite you to try it—you’ll find a wonderful surprise.
Festa Norìa by Cantina Santadi arrives at my home carrying great expectations. In recent blind tastings with friends from vinodabere.it, this fortified wine scored an astonishing 100/100—something that almost makes me open the bottle with a sense of reverence. Still, I’m used to not being influenced, so I “regain control” and go ahead with the uncorking.
We are in Sulcis, and the claim “A story of territory, Carignano, and people” clearly reflects Cantina Santadi’s approach—a winery whose history and growth are closely tied to the winemaker Giacomo Tachis (the mind behind Sassicaia, Solaia, and Tignanello).
Festa Norìa is a fortified wine made from native grapes (essentially Cannonau), sourced from ungrafted bush-trained vines.
After sun-drying, the grapes undergo a traditional red vinification. Once fermentation is stopped, wine alcohol is added, followed by aging for several years in small oak barrels.
I finally pour it into the glass, waiting for the “Great Feast” (the meaning of Festa Norìa).
A full, rich sip—at first, it reminds me of a good Port. Then, as it warms, balsamic notes emerge, along with the evocative aromas of Mediterranean scrub—myrtle above all. Slowly, the signs of the drying process come through, supported by a vibrant acidity.
A long finish. And that “empty” glass still holding such intense, evolving aromas that, with eyes closed, I might have thought it was made of wood rather than glass.
A wine to sip slowly.
To pair with one of your favorite films.
Comfortably on the sofa, with your glass always within reach.
Well done, Sulcis. Once again, Sardinia—still so much to discover
https://www.cantinadisantadi.it/
