The 2006 Tuderi, Cannonau from 49 year-old vines, flows with tobacco, incense, candied cherries and wild herbs. This is a deceptively mid-weight wine, but there are tons of depth and richness behind the wine’s ethereal personality. Fine, silky tannins frame the long, delicate finish. Amazingly, Dettori makes just 9,000 bottles of the Tuderi from three hectares of vineyards. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Alessandro Dettori makes some of the most unique and compelling wines in Sardinia. Minuscule yields from old vineyards, biodynamic farming and a non-interventionalist approach in the cellar form the backbone of Dettori’s philosophy. The wines are made with natural yeasts and are neither fined nor filtered prior to bottling. At their best, these are profound wines, but they are also totally natural. At times the alcohol levels are high and the wines, which contain very low sulfites, can be fragile. Still, readers seeking to discover the heights of Sardinian oenology owe it to themselves to experience the wines of Alessandro Dettori. This is an excellent set of new releases, although 2006 looks to be an uneven vintage. Dettori will not release the flagship Dettori Rosso, and the overall level of the top bottlings seems a notch or two lower than has been the case in the recent past.Importers: Free Run Llc, Seattle, WA; Vitis Import, Inglewood, CA; tel. (310) 674-1112

The 2004 Tuderi is especially successful. This is an especially refined, elegant wine redolent of candied cherries, dried flowers and spices, with clean minerally notes that frame the long finish. The Tuderi is made from 60-year old Cannonau vines. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014. This is another set of head-spinning wines from Alessandro Dettori. I admit I was surprised and frankly extremely disappointed to see Dettori nearly double his prices with these new releases, particularly given the current economic climate. Abandoning the faithful consumers who have steadfastly supported one’s wines over the years strikes me as a very dangerous and foolhardy business strategy. That said, it is impossible to fault these offerings for their quality. They remain among the most fascinating wines being made in Italy today.Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200