The "Meana - Terra del Mandrolisai" winery is located in the hills on the southwest side of the countryside of Meana Sardo, a small village in central Sardinia, in the Mandrolisai district. This area is dominated by the mighty Nolza nuraghe, which seems to protect it along with its subzones, including Parèda.
Its creation is based on the desire to develop the potential of grapes typical of this area. The family-run winery reorganized and began to offer its wines to the market, with the goal of producing high quality wine in a natural way, specifically"Mandrolisai."
Philosophy of the winery is based on several fundamental pillars: their own vineyards, which cover about 15 hectares on the high hills of the Gennargentu, with vines typical of the area; the ancient and skillful art of cultivation, mainly by hand, due to the conformation of the soil; climatic conditions that minimize protective treatments; low production per hectare; care in the selection of grapes during harvest; and careful vinification using traditional methods.
These basic conditions underlie the entire production cycle, ensuring genuine, quality wines. The winery, run mainly by the family, produces about 35,000 bottles annually of different types of wine, allowing precise quality control and a guarantee of authenticity.
The vineyards extend over the hills that descend from the Gennargentu, at an altitude of about 700 meters, on the southwest side of the Meana Sardo area, on soils characterized by schistose impasto that are ideal for growing vines. The vineyards, owned by the company, cover about 15 hectares, allowing careful control of the entire grape production cycle, excluding third-party grapes to ensure the quality of the production process. The vines, ranging in age from 60 to 90 years, are old, wrinkled and twisted, bush-trained and worked mainly by hand, individually tended according to their specific needs. No herbicides are used, and two ploughings are done: one winter ploughing to remove weeds at the base of the vines, completed by hand, and a second spring ploughing. Fertilization, if necessary, is done with organic fertilizers.
Climatic conditions do not require the use of pesticides, as cold winters alternating with sunny and windy summers prevent the development of pests and insects. The same climatic factors allow antifungal treatments to be limited to a maximum of one or two per year, preventive in nature and using only sulfur and copper. Average yields do not exceed 30-40 quintals per hectare, ensuring both the high quality of the grapes and the longevity of the vineyards themselves.
The particular schist composition of the soil, the cool mistral winds that blow intensely, the warm sunshine and brightness of the mountain areas, along with the rich vegetation of typical essences, give the grapes and the resulting wines unique flavors and aromas, distinct from other areas of Sardinia. Native grape varieties in this area of Mandrolisai include Cannonau, Monica, Bovale and other local varieties. To preserve the typicality of these vines, scions taken from ancient vineyards are constantly used for grafting.
The winery plays a key role in grape processing, wine maturation and wine storage. After manual harvesting, the grapes are immediately pressed and destemmed, and divided by type into special steel containers for fermentation, which takes place at controlled temperatures between 24 and 32 degrees, depending on the type of wine. Fermentation takes place naturally for a period of 12-18 days, depending on the blend, using techniques designed to enhance flavors and aromas. In some special cases, selected yeasts are used during fermentation.
Once fermentation is complete, the wines are transferred to an area dedicated to maturation, consisting of an ancient structure made of schist stone that runs below ground level, ensuring constant temperature and humidity. Here the wines mature and age over time, carefully stored and controlled in oak, chestnut or steel containers, depending on the type and characteristics of the wine. After adequate maturation, the wines are bottled and undergo further aging before being released to the market.
The wines produced in the Mandrolisai area are the result of the harmonious union of three main native grape varieties: Cannonau, Monica and Sardinian Bovale. These wines are characterized by great structure, balance, an intense ruby red color, full-bodied aromas and are further distinguished with aging. Due to the limited and niche production, the winery is able to preserve the quality of its wines and respect the production mission behind the business.
The winery is on the market with three types of wines, collected under the "Parèda" line: the DOC Mandrolisai, the Organic and the IGT Isola dei Nuraghi. These wines differ in the quantitative composition of the grapes, the different winemaking techniques and the timing of maturation and aging, which give each wine a distinctive character. The name "Parèda" comes from the ancient geographical name of the area where the company's vineyards are developed. In addition, the winery is working to introduce two other wines to the market that are currently being aged: the Cannonau DOC and the Mandrolisai Superiore DOC.
