Zuccardi Emma Bonarda 2018

Cellar for up to 8 years. No need to decant before serving.

The Zuccardi family winery has an origin story quite unlike any other. Alberto Zuccardi planted his very first vineyard in Mendoza in 1963 as a test site for a new irrigation system which was popular at the time in California. Despite his lack of winemaking knowledge or experience, Alberto became fascinated by the world of wine and five years later he broke ground on the family’s winery on the same spot.

Today the winery is still in the hands of the Zuccardi family, with Alberto’s son José and grandson Sebastian at the helm. Over the years the family have moved from making large scale production wines which they sold on to bottling plants to premium wines from their prized high altitude vineyards in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Winemaker Sebastian has created this unique cuvee in honour of his grandmother, Emma, from the Bonarda grape which has special significance for the family since Alberto was one of the first to plant it in Argentina.

Sebastian sources the grapes from their prized Paraje Altamira and San Pablo vineyards which sit at 1100-1400 metres above sea level. To preserve the natural character of the fruit it is fermented spontaneously using wild yeasts and aged in concrete tanks. Bursting with ripe mulberries, cherries and delicate raspberries, this is a versatile medium-bodied wine ideal to pair with a great variety of dishes ranging from charcuterie and tomato-based pastas to herby roast lamb, duck, and even game.