Winemaker Notes
Vegan
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Produced with a mix of grapes from Santa Rosa in east Mendoza and the Valle de Uco, the 2017 Serie A Bonarda fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete and stainless steel. Serie A is a range of the most representative of Argentinean varieties, and this one is Bonarda from an old parral that was previously used for Emma. It was kept unoaked, as they don't like Bonarda with oak. This is produced from very good grapes that overdeliver for the price. It has varietal character and great purity and definition. It has moderate ripeness and alcohol and feels very balanced. It was bottled unoaked in December 2017.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.