Malmado Malbec
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release, though its fortified nature allows it to cellar well for even longer.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Blue cheese, dark chocolate desserts, dried fruits and nuts
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Malamado (often referred to as Malmado) represents a pioneering chapter in Argentine viticulture as the country's first fortified Malbec, created by Familia Zuccardi. The name itself is a clever portmanteau of 'Malbec a la manera de Oporto'—Malbec in the style of Port. This innovative dessert wine is crafted from late-harvested Malbec grapes grown in Mendoza. During fermentation, high-proof wine spirit is added to halt the yeast activity, preserving the natural grape sugars while elevating the alcohol level. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for approximately two years. This process yields a rich, complex elixir boasting deep notes of ripe plums, dried figs, quince, and sweet spices, showcasing a completely different, decadent dimension of Argentina's signature grape.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1963 by Alberto Zuccardi in Mendoza, Argentina, Familia Zuccardi has risen to become one of the world's most visionary wine estates, currently led by third-generation winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi. Based in the high-altitude terroir of the Uco Valley, the family's state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery, Finca Piedra Infinita in Paraje Altamira, is constructed entirely from local alluvial stone and concrete. Their production philosophy centers on expressing the pure, mineral-driven identity of calcareous soils, utilizing concrete vessels and minimal oak aging to craft terroir-specific masterpieces. Renowned for world-class expressions like the single-vineyard Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec, the Aluvional series, and the elegant Emma Zuccardi Bonarda, the estate represents the pinnacle of modern Argentine viticulture. The historic estate is located at Calle Costa Canal Uco s/n, M5567 San Carlos, Mendoza, Argentina, and can be found online at https://www.zuccardivalledeuco.com.