Familia Zuccardi Bonarda 2005 from Argentina (From The Northern Echo)

Familia Zuccardi Bonarda 2005 from Argentina

12:13pm Thursday 3rd July 2008 in

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We have an Argentinean wine this week from a famous family firm who only started winemaking in 1963 to prove their irrigation system.

The estate is in Santa Rosa surrounded by desert half an hour east of Mendoza city.

Here they handpick the grapes and cold-soak them for two days before fermenting for fifteen days.

Then follows ten months ageing in French oak barrels. The result is a lively violet-red wine with aromas of cherries and red currants. The palate is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins and touches of dried fruit. It's a very good expression of the Italian grape variety bonarda - available at Oddbins for £6.99.

I don't drink a lot of rosé wine but I tried the Virginie Rosé de Syrah that Oddbins sell for £5.99 down to £4.99 on promotion at this time. This is a juicy refreshing rosé made from 100 per cent syrah grapes with strawberry aromas and a palate full of red fruit flavours.

It's 12 per cent alcohol and would drink quite nicely on its own. Virginie is a good firm in the South of France and their wines are usually worth trying.