DiamAndes

DiamAndes - the gemstone at the Andes

In 2005, the Bonnie family, owners of the prestigious Château Malartic-Lagravière and Château Gazin Rocquencourt in Pessac-Léognan, decided to leave France to seek new horizons in the world of wine. It all began when they and their partners acquired a single 130-hectare patch of land in the heart of the Uco Valley, south of the city of Mendoza. There, Bodega DiamAndes was born as a member of the prestigious Clos de los Siete Group.

The architectural design of the winery blends harmoniously with the breathtaking Andean landscape. In this context, winemaking has been taking place under exceptional conditions since the 2007 vintage. The name DiamAndes is a play on words from the words "diamante" (Spanish for "diamond") and the Andes, near which the winery is located. Alfred-Alexandre Bonnie came up with the idea while enjoying a barbecue one day at Laguna del Diamante in Mendoza. The reflection of the Maipo volcano on the lake led him to associate the two words.

Terroir of DiamAndes

At the foot of the Andes, at 1100 meters above sea level, Bodega DiamAndes has an ideal terroir: a temperate climate due to the altitude, which, together with the sandy-loamy soils with a high percentage of rock, allows Malbec, Argentina's king variety, to fully develop. The alluvial soil is technically called "sand-silt-loam soil" (a balanced mixture of sand, silt and clay). This composition is found in the uppermost soil layer, one meter deep, with gravel in the lower layers. Several 190-meter wells were drilled to feed an underground aqueduct that provides access to high quality water. 

With the advice of the Malartic technical team, the care of the vines is based on sustainable agriculture for global environmental care. It is respectful of the soils that are plowed. Environmentally friendly measures include:

• Use of natural fertilizers
• biological reduction of pests with targeted use of chemical products

In the vineyard of the bodega

The decomposition of organic waste is carried out by crushing the shoots. The state of health of the vineyards is generally very good, due to the low rainfall. As a result, little phytosanitary treatment is required. The vines are raised using trellises and the rows are oriented from north to south. The vineyards are planted at a density of 5500 vines per hectare (2227 vines per acre) and the double Guyot and spurred cordon pruning systems are used. In the vineyard, everything is done by hand to ensure the best quality fruit.
The water balance of the vines is strictly monitored, so that in case of deficiency it is possible to intervene selectively with irrigation. For this purpose, DiamAndes has a high-pressure water system that allows the amount to be targeted and no water is wasted.

• Malbec
• Cabernet-Sauvignon
• Cabernet-Franc
• Syrah
• Merlot
• Petit Verdot
• Chardonnay
• Viognier

DiamAndes cellar and philosophy

The cellar of DiamAndes is built according to the height, so that gravity takes over the grape transport during the vinification process. The owners of Bodega DiamAndes and their consulting winemaker Michel Rolland share the philosophy that wines should be treated with the greatest gentleness that human care and technology can provide. The Malartic technical team also leads in the elaboration of DiamAndes wines.

The wines of Bodega DiamAndes are vinified in vats and then aged in French oak barrels used for a maximum of three vintages. Part of the wines are aged in French oak barrels imported by Bodega DiamAndes directly from the great forests of Allier in France and made by the best French coopers. The elegant and harmonious barrel cellar, with space for 2800 barrels, was built completely underground, providing an ideally screened storage area. There, the wines can rest under controlled, cool temperature conditions. The estate bottlings are aged for 10 to 18 months, making them complex, seductive, intense and balanced.