Italian wine and grape guide : Bovale grande

The vine Bovale grande arrived in Sardinia from the Iberian Peninsula during the Aragonese domination, and with time it has formed two distinct varieties: Bovale sardo or Bovaleddu and Bovale di Spagna or Bovali mannu (Bovale grande). It is fermented together with other black varieties to obtain the valuable wines for roast: in particular, together with Cannonau and Monica, it makes part of the blend for the preparation of wine DOC Mandrolisai. Also in conjunction with the Bovale di Spagna it is used for the DOC Campidano di Terralba or Terralba. The berry is black, medium, sub-oval with a thick, black, very waxy skin. The bunch is medium, cylindrical-conical, winged with a medium, five-lobed leaf. Bovale variety has medium vigor, and time of medium-late maturing. Its production is plentiful but erratic. Bovale vine is never vinified alone, but blended with other varieties in the area.