Gabbas

The Gabbas Estate lies in Barbagia, the heart of Sardinia, where the slopes of the Oliena hills descend northwest into a valley near the provincial capital of Nuoro. The vineyards are situated in the Locoe Valley, between Oliena and Orgosolo. Although this region has a rich agricultural history dating back to the Roman Empire, it was not until the second half of the last century that we heard of wines being produced in the Oliena subzone. This property, which has been in the Gabbas family for generations, extends over 40 ha/ 99 acres, 20 ha/ 50 acres of which are vineyards. Mediterranean sunlight bathes the estate, its fertile soil and microclimate greatly favor ripe grape growth of medium consistency. The decomposed granite soil is influenced by its proximity to the surrounding mountain hills and by the temperate breezes which come from the sea which is 20 km/ 12 miles away. Giuseppe Gabbas, although a law school graduate and the son of a lawyer, has been recognized by Gambero Rosso as an emerging producer of top Sardinian wines.

At the Gabbas estate, the family strives to craft fine wines with native and “foreign” grapes. The old vineyards still have 1.5 ha/ 3.7 acres of Cannonau that was planted between 1945-1950 in production and is head-trained (this training system is called “alberello” and translates to “small tree”). A further 2 ha/ 4.9 acres was planted and trellised in 1966-1967.

These vineyards will be preserved for the long term future, particularly because they are part of a European Union project studying indigenous varieties and the possibility of replanting them. Another Gabbas Estate vineyard of 5 ha/12.4 acres was planted in 1992- 1993 with a density of 5,000 vines per ha (2,025 x acre) and trellised using the Spur Cordon training system. A further vineyard of the same acreage was planted in 1999, and the estate has rights to plant other 5.2 ha/ 13 acres, which will be a project commencing in the near future. A new winery of 1,380 sq.m/ 14,900 sq. ft is completed. It is finished with stones, in the style of the Nuraghe which are ancient Sardinian constructions dating back about 3,500 years.

The local topography means that the day and night temperatures in the vineyards differ considerably. Not only does this microclimate ensure ideal grape acidity, it supports an ecosystem that reduces the need for anti-parasite treatments. Gabbas uses only organic fertilizers and the classic mixture of lime, copper sulfate, and water. Indeed, the dry and breezy climate makes spraying almost unnecessary. Typically, in Sardinia, growers might treat the vineyards 4-5 times a year. This is sharp contrast to more rainy and humid wine zones, where more than twenty treatments can be required. Despite these benefits, to ensure the highest quality, production never exceeds 2-2.5 tons/ 48,501/49,604 lbs per acre.

The Cannonau grape thought originally to be a clone of Grenache, is the most noteworthy grape grown in eastern Sardinia. The grape most likely arrived here during the period of Spanish rule from the 15th - 17th centuries and since that time has been associated with big, powerful, deeply structured wine, the best of which comes from the sub-zone of Oliena. Cannonau is a grape that has very “American” characteristics; thick, soft, and with a lot of fruit. Numerous ampelography experts argue that Cannonau derives from the Canonazo of Seville and the Granaxa of Aragon. It is effectively the Sardinian version of Spain’s Garnacha and of the Midi’s Grenache which is the world’s most widely planted variety. In Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, it takes on styles of its own here in potent reds that can be dry or sweet.