Argiolas is the foremost wine estate on the island of Sardinia producing archetypal wines from native varietals. The winery was founded in 1938 by Antonio Argiolas and was the first on the island to pursue quality over quantity. Today, the Argiolas family is recognized as Sardinia’s leading producer of wine.
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies roughly 190 miles west of Italy's mainland. The vineyards of Argiolas are located in Serdiana in the Trexenta hills just north of the capital of Cagliari. Argiolas farms 600 acres of native Sardinian grapes including Nuragus, Monica, and Cannonau.
Merì Vermentino is an experimental wine conceived by Argiolas’ technical director Mariano Murru along with the Italian Ministry of Research’s “Project Vinex.” The goal is to study and identify the most suitable harvesting techniques to preserve aromas and reduce the use of sulphur. Merì is harvested with a specially designed machine that chills the grapes with dry ice as they’re picked.
Tasting Notes
Merì (meaning “sunset” in Sardinian dialect) is a highly aromatic Vermentino with heightened aromas, lower alcohol, and minimum sulphur. The wine shows an intense bouquet of white flowers, herbs, and citrus, with minerals and juicy acidity on the palate. Merì is a pure expression of place and varietal.
Food Pairing
Vermentino is an excellent aperitivo and its lemony acidity and herbal character is perfect for the Mediterranean table. Vermentino will accent langoustines or squid but carries enough weight to work with spaghetti topped with bottarga or a bowl of brothy clams and fregola. The herbal flavor of Vermentino can also highlight vegetables such as fava beans or fennel.