Torbato Spumante Brut from Sardinia, Italy now available in the US

I had the pleasure to assist a wine lunch hosted by Giovanni Pinna a couple of weeks ago winemaker of Sella & Mosca’s. I was glad to try different wines followed by a delicious lunch hosted by Sella & Mosca’s at restaurant. To warm up the palate a delicious aperitif was provided, an spumante Torbato Brut that is now available in the US.

Torbato an autochtonous grape

Torbato is a grape variety that is prone to diseases: the grapes have thin skins, making them particularly delicate, just as their late period of ripening exposes them to the vagaries of the weather. Its varietal characteristics, however, have produced some of the region’s most interesting wines. In Sella & Mosca’s vineyards in particular – thanks to the limestone-rich soils deriving from thousands of years of marine sedimentation – the grapes acquire considerable concentration and their aromas become more pronounced.

Hence, Sella & Mosca’s flagship variety is Torbato, an ancient grape belonging to the Malvoisie de Roussillon family and introduced from the Aegean to the Iberian coast by the Phoenicians. Known as “Vitis Iberica,” it was brought to Sardinia during the dominion of the Catalans. Even though a variety called Turbat is to be found in Spain even today, Sella & Mosca is the only producer in the world to vinify it as a 100% varietal wine.

About Sella & Mosca

Located at Alghero in the northwest corner of the island Selle & Mosca is the largest wine producer in Sardinia. They have a a wide range of wines. It is known particularly for its wines from Cannonau (Grenache), and Vermentino, plus the Torbato grape, which according to their website is grown exclusively by the company at their I Piani estate.

Today the company produces four types of Torbato in all: Torbato D.O.C. Alghero, Terre Bianche D.O.C. Alghero, Terre Bianche Cuvée 161 D.O.C. Alghero and Torbato Spumante Brut.