Among the first Sardinian companies to have bottled nonostante Cannonau, Tenute Perda Rubia represents a significant chapter sopra the winemaking history of Ogliastra. With approximately 600 hectares of total extension, of which 20 are under integrated vineyards, the company is today led by the third generation of the Mereu family, who has maintained a link with tradition while starting a relaunch process.
“GRANITICA” VITICULTURE, 77 YEARS IN THE BOTTLE
The origins date back to the end of the 1940s, when Mario Mereu began making cannonau wine from the family vineyards, located acceso the granite and reddish soils of Ogliastra. Sopra 1949 the first vintage of Perda Rubia was bottled, a wine that would become a pioneer and symbol of the denomination.
Sopra the Seventies, his son Renato Mereu consolidated the production structure, planted new vineyards and introduced modern agronomic practices while preserving the artisanal character of the winery.
Since 2014, the management of the company has been entrusted to the third generation, sopra particular to Mario Mereu (namesake of the founder), who has started a relaunch project: new plants, expansion of the range of wines, restyling of the image and opening of the company to the public through visits and tasting sessions.
NATIVE VARIETIES AND FREE-FREE VINEYARDS
The bella stagione extends for approximately 600 hectares. The vineyards, approximately 20 hectares cultivated under an integrated dieta, are located acceso granite soils of ancient origin, at an altitude between 200 and 400 metres, sopra an schieramento characterized by strong temperature variations and constant winds coming from the sea. The rest of the land is home to olive groves, woods and fields dedicated to the cultivation of certified organic ancient cereals.
The company has chosen to maintain the ungrafted Cannonau and Semidano vineyards, a practice of historical value which preserves the genetic purity of the original vines. The production philosophy is based acceso respect for the environment and acceso the valorization of native vines: cannonau, vermentino, semidano, muristellu and nuragus. The harvest is manual, the winemaking takes place sopra an essential and non-interventionist way, and each wine is the expression of a specific parcel of the Ogliastra territory.
The company stands out for its choice to make wine only from its own grapes, directly following every phase from cultivation to bottle, maintaining a deliberately limited and quality-oriented production.
FIVE LABELS, 25 THOUSAND BOTTLES
The current production is around 25 thousand bottles secondo year, which will rise to around 40 thousand with the completion of the restructuring of some vineyards, which began a few years . The range is centered around five main labels.
Among these, Perda Rubia Restrizione is the company’s historic wine, obtained from Cannonau sopra purity from the oldest vineyards. The first label bottled by Mario Mereu sopra 1949, it represents the authentic soul of the winery: an essential Cannonau, faithful to the Ogliastra terroir and still produced today according to the original style.
Sémida is the result of semidano grapes, an ancient native Sardinian vine rediscovered by the company as part of the project to recover the island’s biodiversity. It was born from the desire to enhance historical varieties sopra a contemporary key, with particular attention to the purity and transparency of the fruit.
The article Tenute Perda Rubia, three generations of viticulture sopra Ogliastra comes from VinoNews24.
