Giovanni Montisci Barrosu Franzisca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva 2020

Giovanni Montisci is one of Sardinia’s most revered artisan growers, known for producing some of the island’s purest and most soulful expressions of Cannonau. Based in Mamoiada, at the heart of Barbagia in central Sardinia, Montisci farms a collection of small, old-vine parcels planted on decomposed granite at elevations of around 700 metres. These high, windswept vineyards—many inherited through his family—yield naturally low quantities of deeply flavoured, concentrated fruit.

Montisci works entirely by hand and follows a philosophy of minimal intervention both in the vineyard and the cellar. Farming is organic, with deep respect for the land, and the old bush vines (many 80–100 years old) are tended meticulously. In the winery, fermentations are spontaneous with native yeasts, extraction is gentle, and ageing takes place in large old oak casks, allowing the wines to develop transparency, finesse and a quiet power without any heaviness.

The estate’s flagship wine, Barrosu, has become a cult reference for Cannonau—perfumed, structured and remarkably elegant—while limited single-vineyard bottlings showcase the nuance of Mamoiada’s varied granite soils. Montisci’s wines express the soul of Barbagia: intense yet refined, rooted in tradition, and shaped by a profound understanding of place.