Why Amur is personal to Alessa

Our connection to Amur began across the table. Daniela Pinna came to our restaurant Carne & Cucina to present the wines of Tenute Olbios and speak about Sardinia in her own words. Meeting the woman who grows and makes the wine gave us a much deeper understanding of the place, the native grapes and the patient work behind every bottle.

Amur stayed with us because it is unmistakably Sardinian without being difficult. It has dark fruit and warmth, but also freshness, gentle tannins and the savoury character that makes a wine belong with food.

Meet Daniela Pinna

Daniela is the agronomist, owner and winemaker leading Tenute Olbios near Olbia in northern Sardinia. She co-founded the estate with her husband, David Mele, and oversees the work from pruning and grape selection through to bottling.

Her approach joins careful technical knowledge with deep respect for the land. The vineyards are dry farmed, herbicides are avoided and the grapes are harvested by hand. Daniela has also been a prominent advocate for Gallura's native varieties, including the rare red grape Muristellu.

Muristellu: Sardinia's native red

Amur is made entirely from Muristellu, also known as Bovale Sardo. Once overlooked, this native variety is being protected by growers who understand its ability to translate Sardinia's warm days, wind and mineral soils into a red wine with both character and energy.

Rather than relying on heavy oak, Amur lets the grape speak clearly. Its rounded fruit and soft tannins make it welcoming, while its herbal and mineral details keep the wine distinctive.

A granite-grown wine

The vineyards lie in the Colli del Limbara area of Gallura. Their old, loose soils are formed mainly from decomposed pink granite, with sand and a light layer of clay. Water travels underground from the Limbara hills towards the sea, while the dry climate and coastal influence help shape naturally concentrated grapes with lively freshness.

Tenute Olbios preserves traditional vineyard work including pruning, tying, selection and harvesting by hand. Treatments are kept limited, with no chemical fertilisers or herbicides used in the vineyard.

How Amur is made

The Muristellu is picked by hand in small crates during the second part of September. At the winery the berries are gently destemmed, then fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel. Frequent délestage draws colour and flavour from the skins while keeping the tannins supple.

After fermentation, the wine remains in stainless steel for approximately fourteen months. It is cold settled without prior filtration, then given further time in bottle. Ageing without oak preserves the purity of the fruit, Mediterranean herbs and granite-derived mineral character.

What it tastes like

Amur opens with blackcurrant, juicy blackberry and wild dark berries. Myrtle and thyme add a fragrant Mediterranean lift, while a fine graphite note runs beneath the fruit. The palate is dry and rounded, with gentle tannins, lively acidity and a savoury finish that feels polished rather than heavy.

How to serve it

Serve Amur at 15-16°C in a medium tulip-shaped red-wine glass. It needs only a little air before pouring. Bring it to the table with roast lamb, mushroom pasta, vegetable dishes or mature Sardinian Pecorino. Its freshness also makes it a fine match for an unhurried Sunday lunch.