Marchese di Villamarina DOC Alghero 2015

With its 541 hectares of vineyards, the Sella & Mosca winery is one of the largest wine-producing areas in the whole continent and is one of the most famous and important production realities of our peninsula. It all began more than a century ago when engineer Erminio Sella, nephew of Minister Quintino of the Kingdom of Italy, and lawyer Edgardo Mosca met in Nauraghe Maiore, near Alghero. The two adventurous people from Piedmont, attracted by the richness of the Sardinian land and by the enchanting landscapes of the island, bought 15 hectares of land and gave life to what would have become one of the most prestigious and historical wineries of the Italian enological scene. The first excavations, dated back to the founding year of 1899, were done in order to remove the big layer of sandstone rocks which populated the surface and prevented the growth of vines. These stones today constitute and paint a landscape of great charm and some of them are also kept inside the historical museum of the estate, divided into two sections. The first one retraces the ancient archaeological history dedicated to the necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, while the other part focuses on the first 40 years of the company's history, told through the photos and testimonies of the sons of the sons. The property was first owned by the Campari group and recently it was bought for 62 million euros by Vittorio Moretti, president of Terra Moretti Group and owner of Bellavista winery. The trademark symbolizing Sella & Mosca depicts a bas-relief from ancient Egypt in which five men squeeze grapes by using sticks. Besides the estate in the province of Alghero, Sella & Mosca also adds estates of 15 hectares in Gallura and 6 hectares in Sulcis. An astonishing variety of vines are grown on the estate, more than 1500 biotypes, from local ones such as Vermentino, Cannonau, Torbato and Carignano del Sulcis, to international ones such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, alongside a large number of Mediterranean plants such as maritime pines, palms and eucalyptus. Biodiversity and eco-sustainability are the philosophical principles that the estate has been pursuing uninterruptedly for years. The soils have variable morphological composition, but have in common the high amount of limestone, the sedimentary marine origin and the low amount of water. The climate is Mediterranean and very hot, constantly ventilated by pleasant breezes that rise from the sea. From this unique scenario, characterized by exclusive environmental elements and by the long tradition of wine making, are born the most famous wines which, like few others, are able to express the essence of Sardinian land.