Tanca Farrà Alghero DOC

A jewel in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is a rustic and enchantingly beautiful island with extreme geography and vinous diversity to tempt travelers and wine enthusiasts alike. Mr. Sella and Mr. Mosca fell in love with this land over a century ago and established Sella & Mosca, one of Italy’s most renowned wine estates. As Sardinia’s foremost wine producer, Sella & Mosca’s premium wines are made exclusively from estate-grown grapes. In addition to native varieties such as Vermentino, Torbato, and Cannonau, the winery has successfully pioneered the introduction of international grape varieties, notably Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sella & Mosca’s 1,600-acre estate, I Piani, constitutes the second largest contiguous vineyard in Italy, covering more than 1,200 acres of vines. It is one of the largest wine estates in Europe. The climate is hot and dry. Inland vineyards cover mountainous terrain of granite, schist, sandstone and limestone soil. The vines for this wine are spur cordon pruned and average 13 years old.

Both grape varieties are harvested from September through October at the peak of maturity. After crushing, each variety undergoes a three-day cold maceration followed by fermentation at a controlled temperature. Aged 12 months in barrels; part of the wine ages in second-use French barrique and part in big barrels. The wine then ages an additional three months in bottle.

Ruby red with delicate purple nuances. The nose proffers lively notes of ripe red fruit with prominent morello cherry. The intriguing and Mediterranean spiciness is highly pleasurable, spanning from the balsamic notes of the myrtle plant to the sweetness of tobacco. The initial mouthfeel is plush and enveloping, the warm alcohol perfectly counterbalanced by the sustained “marine-like” savoriness. The persistent acid vein, which provides the backbone to the wine, guarantees prolonged longevity. A long and lingering retro-nasal aroma, with a pleasant and delicate note of vanilla from the oak on the finish.