Summary
Sella & Mosca is one of the largest and best-known wine estates in Sardinia – and, with around 500 hectares of contiguous vineyard, one of the most extensive wine estates in all of Europe. Founded in 1899 by two Piedmontese near Alghero in the north-west of the island, the estate today combines enormous scale with a clear Sardinian identity. Here it makes fresh Vermentino, spicy Cannonau (the Sardinian name for Grenache), powerful Cabernet wines and the rare white Torbato, which Sella & Mosca saved from disappearing. Since 2016 the estate has belonged to the Terra Moretti group, which has brought new impetus and investment.
History
The estate's roots reach back to 1899. The engineer Erminio Sella – from the well-known Piedmontese Sella family, which also produced the statesman Quintino Sella – and the lawyer Edgardo Mosca came upon a wild, largely unused stretch of coastal land near Alghero. They recognised its potential and first laid out a large vine nursery there: at a time when phylloxera was ravaging the vineyards of mainland Europe, they supplied healthy, phylloxera-resistant grafted vines.
The nursery soon became a full-fledged winery. Over the decades Sella & Mosca transformed the vast expanse of the Tenuta I Piani into one of the largest contiguous vineyards in Italy and Europe. The estate not only cultivated the classic Sardinian varieties but also experimented early with international grapes and modern cellar technology. In the second half of the 20th century the estate changed hands several times – among others it belonged for a time to the Campari group. In 2016 the renowned Terra Moretti group of the Moretti family took over the estate and began a phase of targeted investment and stylistic refinement.
Location & Terroir
Sella & Mosca lies around ten kilometres north of Alghero in the far north-west of Sardinia, close to the coast. The climate is markedly Mediterranean: plenty of sun, mild winters and the steady, salty mistral that sweeps in from the sea across the vines and keeps the grapes dry and healthy.
The diversity of soils on the Tenuta I Piani is defining. Limestone and clay soils, some red and iron-rich, alternate with stony, poor parcels. This variety allows the estate to grow very different grape varieties each on suitable sites – from the salty, mineral coastal parcel for Vermentino and Torbato to the strong, iron-rich red soils on which Cannonau and Cabernet develop their density. The sheer size of the contiguous area makes the estate one of the most remarkable winegrowing sites in the Mediterranean.
Style & Philosophy
Sella & Mosca's style combines Sardinian tradition with modern, clean cellar work. The white wines – above all Vermentino and Torbato – rely on freshness, citrus fruit, Mediterranean herb notes and a salty minerality that reflects the coastal terroir. In the Cannonau the typically Sardinian signature shows: spicy, with dark fruit, Mediterranean macchia and a warming but never clumsy structure.
As one of the first Sardinian estates, Sella & Mosca also embraced Cabernet Sauvignon and barrique ageing, creating internationally legible, long-lived red wines. Alongside still and sparkling wines the estate also maintains sweet specialities. Above all stands the ambition to translate the island's particularities – its grapes, its light, its wind – into clearly defined, reliable wines, from the affordable everyday bottle to the top cuvée.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range runs from uncomplicated everyday wines to ambitious flagships:
- Marchese di Villamarina – the red flagship, a single-variety, long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alghero area
- Tanca Farrà – a dense blend of Cannonau and Cabernet Sauvignon from red, iron-rich soils
- Terre Bianche – the famous white Torbato, made from this variety practically only here, fresh and mineral (also as a sparkling wine)
- La Cala (Cala Viola) – a fresh Vermentino di Sardegna from the coastal parcels
- classic Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva as a spicy, hearty Sardinian red
These wines show the estate's range: from the accessible Vermentino bottle for summer to the age-worthy Cabernet.
Awards
Sella & Mosca has been a fixture of Sardinian and Italian winemaking for decades and is regularly listed in the leading Italian wine guides (Gambero Rosso, Bibenda) as well as international tastings. The Marchese di Villamarina and the Terre Bianche Torbato in particular receive recurring high scores. Beyond ratings alone, the estate holds historical importance: as guardian of the rare Torbato grape and as a pioneer that brought international varieties and modern cellar technology to Sardinia early – and thereby carried the reputation of Sardinian wine far beyond the island.