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Zuccardi Valles Bonarda comes from multiple vineyard sites across the Uco Valley, one of Argentina’s most dynamic wine regions, sitting at high altitude in the foothills of the Andes. Bonarda is Argentina’s second most planted grape variety, after Malbec, and in the right hands produces wines of real depth and character, think dark plum, blackberry and violet, with hints of spice and a touch of earthiness.
Zuccardi Wines was founded by Alberto “Tito” Zuccardi, an engineer who had relocated to Mendoza from Tucumán in north-western Argentina, where his Italian grandparents had originally settled. Working primarily on irrigation systems, a critical technology in this low-rainfall region, Zuccardi planted a vineyard in Maipú in 1963 to demonstrate his work, and in doing so, inadvertently planted the seeds of one of Argentina’s greatest wine dynasties. Construction of their first winery followed in 1968.
The business has remained firmly in family hands ever since. Tito’s son José joined in 1976, and José’s son Sebastián, now the family’s head winemaker, came on board in 2002. Under Sebastián’s leadership, Zuccardi has gone from strength to strength, earning him recognition as one of South America’s most exciting winemakers by Decanter Magazine in 2019.
Zuccardi is based in the Valle de Uco, a stunning high-altitude wine region at the foot of the Andes, running north to south along the western edge of Mendoza. Their state-of-the-art winery in Paraje Altamira was completed in 2013, and in 2019 Zuccardi Valle de Uco was named the World’s Best Vineyard, the ultimate recognition of the region’s extraordinary potential.
Across the Valle de Uco and beyond, Zuccardi farm some 800 hectares of vineyards across multiple sites, including Paraje Altamira, La Consulta, Vista Flores, Santa Rosa and Maipú. Sustainability is central to everything they do.
35% of their vineyards hold organic certification, with the remainder managed according to sustainable farming principles.
Zuccardi Valles Bonarda has a delicious bouquet of fresh dark cherries, crème de cassis and exuberant blackberry fruit notes. The palate is soft and juicy.
Try with barbeque, grilled lamb chops and steaks, sausages and mature cheeses.
Bonarda is a red grape variety and Argentina’s second most widely planted grape, after Malbec. It was originally grown in the Savoyard region of eastern France, where it is known as Douce Noir.
For many years, it played second fiddle to Malbec and was used largely as a blending grape, but it has enjoyed a significant revival in recent decades as winemakers have recognised its potential as a serious variety in its own right.
At its best, Bonarda produces wines with deep colour, generous dark fruit, soft tannins and a fresh, lively acidity that makes it both approachable and food-friendly.
Bonarda is variously known as Douce Noir, Corbeau and Charbono (particularly in California).
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