The Italy Wine Project

Regions / Sardinia

DOCStill huntingModerate

Alghero DOC

A catch-all DOC created largely around the huge Sella & Mosca estate, which is why Cabernet and Torbato are permitted alongside local grapes. Torbato is the interesting one: a nearly extinct Catalan white revived here, giving wines with white flowers, quince, a chalky texture and a bitter almond finish. The Cabernet based Marchese di Villamarina is a long lived Bordeaux styled red with cedar, black currant and dusty tannin. Cagnulari, a local relative of Bovale, makes juicy, peppery reds worth seeking from smaller estates.

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Bottles I'm chasing

ProducerWinePriceBuy
Sella & Mosca
Alghero Torbato Terre Bianche Cuvée 161
The one widely available Torbato; expect white peach, chamomile, a saline, faintly bitter finish, imported by Terlato.
$18 to $24Wine-Searcher
Sella & Mosca
Alghero Torbato Brut Spumante
Charmat method Torbato with green apple and bread crust, a curiosity that ticks the spumante box.
$18 to $22Wine-Searcher
Sella & Mosca
Alghero Marchese di Villamarina
The estate's Cabernet Sauvignon riserva, built for a decade in bottle, cedar and black fruit with firm dry tannin.
$45 to $60Wine-Searcher