The 2006 Isola dei Nuraghi Arrubias, an old-vine Carignano, is super-impressive in the way it exudes great depth and richness without excess weight. Wild flowers, spices, sweet red cherries and rosemary are some of the multiple nuances that take shape in the glass. The 2006 loses just a little bit of persistence on the finish, but that is a relatively small critique for a wine that has so many other things going for it. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. Feudi della Medusa stands out for rich, textured wines that at their best are among the most interesting wines readers will come across in Sardinia. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

Planted on its original rootstock, these Carignano vines produce a broad and wide-reaching wine with good intensity and endurance in the mouth. The aromas, on the other hand, are delicate and precise and focus on small berries and spice.——M.L.(9/1/2009)—— 88

The 2005 Isola dei Nuraghi Arrubias comes across as dark, burly and lacking the finesse of the best wines here. Bottle age is unlikely to make a significant difference. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1461

This is a very interesting wine from Sardinia (made with the native Carignano grape) that exhibits perfumed aromas of black fruit, cola, smoked meat and Asian spice that all fall nicely into place. The wine shows medium density on the palate but does a nice job of presenting its elegant fruit tones.——M.L.(9/1/2009)—— 88