Sardinia Wine Box - Barbagia Invasion

Meet our latest obsession. The barbarians. And we use this in the accurate translation of the term.
The region of Barbagia in inner Sardinia derives its name from the opinion of Cicero that this land was inhabited by ‘barbarians’ as they refused to give in to Roman dominion.

The area of Barbagia in Sardinia is a wild land, with a rugged mountainous terrain that makes it sparsely populated. Yet despite the challenges that nature brings them, many of those who live in Barbagia have made wine their metier and show how mankind will find a way to make friends with nature. 

This is clear with the wines of the three producers who are the focus of this month’s Regional Box of the Month. Welcome VikeVike, Vinzas Artas and Teularju. Three fascinating producers whose wines we are excited to finally share with you. All based in the tiny village of Mamoiada, they all have their independent identities, which is shown through their wines. Their production is small, and they all work in artisanal, sustainable methods prioritising the quality of the vineyards over intervention in the cellar. 

Cannonau, the indigenous red of Sardinia, is the principal grape cultivated here. Though often thought to be a variant of Grenache, it has been shown to have its own Sardinian identity. Its characteristics are in line with what you would expect of the hot climate: full bodied and ripe fruit forward with wild herbaceous elements. Yet in Barbagia, these characteristics are shaped by the altitude. The vineyards are generally located at 700 metres above sea level. This results in daily climatic fluctuations that imbue the wines with a beautiful, surprising acidity. Alongside Cannonau, the winemakers are starting to vinify a local white grape known as Granatza. Historically planted among the Cannonau vines and used as a blending grape, producing it as a single varietal white wine is one step further in demonstrating how interesting the wines of Barbagia can be. 

So for this Box of the Month, we have chosen three reds, one from each of our new producers, in order to demonstrate the differences that each distinct Ghirada or Cru creates in addition to each winemakers’ individual vinification methods. And as for the white? We went for VikeVike mainly because we were particularly enthralled by its beautiful minerality. But to be honest, we could have chosen any of them… 

Vike Vike, “Ghirada Fittiloghe” Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2020
Teularju, Barbagia Rosso IGT 2022
Vinzas Artas, “Nigheddu” Barbagia Rosso IGT 2020
VikeVike Barbagia Bianco IGT 2022