Born in France, the Malbec grape has found its spiritual home in Argentina where, over the last decade or so, the popularity of its wine has downright exploded. A lot of the country’s producers now try their hand at making a version, but few do it better than the Zuccardi family, who produce a range of terroir-driven expressions. Fincas del Sur is one of our all-time favorites, with powerful yet plush dark fruit flavors that offer surprising versatility at the dinner table.

Founded by Alberto Zuccardi back in 1963, Familia Zuccardi is now run by third-generation all-star Sebastián Zuccardi, named “South America’s Top Winemaker” by Decanter magazine in 2019.

Since joining the family business in the early 2000s, he’s led the estate’s expansion into Mendoza’s high-altitude Uco Valley region, added concrete amphorae to the cellar and launched a Research and Development department to study and explore how the area's soils, landscapes and microclimates shape his family’s winemaking endeavors. Today, he continues to create, innovate and push boundaries to develop the unique personality of the country’s wine industry.

“We strive for wines with identity, transparency and precision,” says Sebastián, “the place where they come from.”

This particular Malbec comes from their Santa Julia winery—named for Sebastián’s only sister, Julia—where the family cultivates just under 1,000 acres of organically grown vines and production is managed by winemaker Ruben Ruffo.

Full-bodied and voluptuous, it offers aromas and flavors of plum, cocoa and black currant that linger throughout a soft finish. Pliable tannins ensure smooth sipping, while a streak of acidity makes the wine an excellent partner for fatty and flavorsome cuts of meat and savory vegetable-based fare galore.

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