Cantina del Mandrolisai, Sorgono
Far away from the island’s world-famous beaches, is what many regard as the spiritual home of Sardinian wine.
This cantina represents growers in the mountainous interior where the high peaks of the Gennargentu mastif tower to 6,000 ft (1,800m). Switchback roads trail upwards, arriving suddenly to little mountain towns where traditional dress and traditions are still observed. In the foothills, plantings of Cannonau, Monica and Muristeddu (which goes by many names, including muristellu, Bualeddu, Bovaleddo, and Sardinian bovale) fill the winery late into the autumn, the growing period extended by the particular conditions here – long sunny, rainless summers with dramatic temperature swings between day and night.
The name Mandrolisai refers to the DOC that specifically applies to red or rosato wines, blended from those three grapes, and grown in particular (poorer) soils up to a maximum of 2460ft (750m). Quantities are, by world standards, miniscule. In 2018 only 22 acres were in production. At the time, that was just 8,000 cases.
The cantina itself describes Mandrolisai as the ‘happy meeting of three varieties : the Muristellu , a native species probably the result of the domestication of the wild Sardinian vine, characterized by great acidity, tannicity and chromatic charge, capable of giving structure and strength to the wines; the Cannonau , a species capable like few others of accumulating sugar, and the Monica , a cultivar with a more delicate, fresh and feminine soul’.
Everything about this environment seems designed for winegrowing, which is perhaps why some believe there is a special deity looking after the vineyards.
Sadly, this isn’t an area blessed with material riches – even the wifi signal is poor. As a result, young people have left in droves and many towns struggle to maintain a viable population.
But for those who stay, there is the promise of something perhaps more valuable than money: a longer-than-average life. The cantina’s members grow grapes in Sardinia’s ‘blue zones’ where villagers routinely stride past 100 years. There are many theories as to why these clusters of active elders exist – the mountain air, fresh wholesome diet… or it could be the wine!
There is an old toast in the Sardinian language ‘a kent’annos’, which roughly translated means ‘may you live to 100 years’. It’s been adopted as the label for a range of Cantina del Mandrolisai wines, featuring the faces of real local veterans on the labels.
We recommend you repeat the toast when opening a bottle of Mandrolisai… that deity in the vineyards might just hear you.
Want to explore Cantina del Mandrolisai wines? You can find these to order on our site:
