The Estate
Our winery was born from a passion shared with its founder, Jean-Louis Raffy. After thirteen years in the making, the Familia Zanchetta focuses its work on high-end wines and absolute respect for the terroir, weaving sustainability and biodiversity protection into every process. This commitment to quality translates into international awards and standout scores, which validate the identity and care we put into each of our labels.
Terroir has many definitions; for us this word means something more than a prestigious region or a Protected Geographical Indication — terroir is what gives a wine its typicity when it is made with minimal human intervention, allowing all the natural elements of a region to express themselves fully and without artifice.
Specific Soil Characteristics
“The taste of terroir is, for me, the sum of the elements of nature that come together in the ecosystem of a given region — in our case, Gualtallary”
— Philippe Zanchetta, Wine Creator
A World-Class Region
The harsh Andean winters and arid summers of the Alto Valle de Uco, Tupungato, together with the strong day-to-night thermal amplitude and ecological vine care, produce fruit with unique flavors reflected in the quality of the wines. The estate's sustainable farming respects the terroir, the environment and its biodiversity, following organic practices and moving toward Organic Certification in Argentina and the USA and Organic Farming certification in Europe.
Technology in the Service of Ecology
We complement our organic philosophy with precision technology: we use drip irrigation and soil sensors to analyze water absorption capacity and prevent water stress. We also monitor more than 100 parameters via satellite, from wind erosion to plant vitality, ensuring intervention that is minimal and precise. This fusion of ancestral methods and cutting-edge technology guarantees qualitative excellence without compromising the health of the ecosystem.
Milestones
Microterroir
The Earth
The vineyards are rooted in sandy, stony soil, with silt deposits over a subsoil of calcareous sediments. This alluvial structure with volcanic sediments is highly favorable to drainage and vine cultivation. The vines planted in the bed of the dry riverbed enjoy a mineral microterroir formed by large granite stones.
Snowmelt
The Water
The vineyards are irrigated with pure snowmelt water from the Andes, through a drip system that optimizes the care of natural resources.
Altitude
The Air
Planted at 1300 meters above sea level, the vineyards breathe the mountain air; situated on the west-to-east slope of the Andean range, the vines are sheltered from Pacific clouds, so rainfall is scarce.
Sunlight
The Fire
The vineyard enjoys more than 320 days of sunshine. The sun provides excellent ripening and fruit concentration, yielding a wine generous in colors, aromas and fine, intense flavors.
Quintessence
The Ether
It is the spirit that animates our wines, that which cannot be seen but gently and transparently envelops the whole project — it is the energy, creativity and love we bring day after day, that quintessence capable of producing the alchemical transformation of grape into a wine that is truly our own, for everyone to enjoy.
Let's Meet!
We invite you to discover our eco-friendly vineyard and winery at the foot of the Cordillera through an original visit, designed for those seeking an authentic connection with nature and wine. In this human-scale setting, you will experience a unique, intimate, multisensory journey, where the sounds of nature, the landscape of the valley and our Franco-Argentine fusion intertwine.