ABOUT US
Valle Zonda - San Juan
VINEYARD TRADITION
An ancient land of dinosaurs, deserts and snowcapped mountains. San Juan is Argentina’s second largest wine-producing province. There, life is celebrated with the flavor of varietals such as Malbec, Syrah, Criolla, and Torrontés, among others.
San Juan has a long winemaking tradition resulting from the arrival of Spanish and Italian immigrants.
The Zonda valley is a narrow rock Valley carved from the mountains by ancient glaciers and rivers. Originally inhabited by the Huarpe Indians, their stone Pirques(aqueducts) still carry water today.
Our Expert
Duncan Killiner / WINEMAKER
Duncan was born in rural New Zealand to Irish immigrant farmers. After learning to work the land on the family farm, he completed a Degree in Fermentation science at Massey University with Drs Roy Thornton and Gordon Pilone. Learning his trade at famous NZ wineries such as Stonyridge and Ngatarawa, Duncan then combined his love of wine and travel to become a flying winemaker for the next 15 years working for John Worontschak and later Angela Muir MW. More than 20 countries and 50 harvests later Duncan grows his own wines in South America and
consults for select clients. He believes in minimal intervention and Kaitiakitanga- the Maori belief of guardianship of our environment.
Introducing Jelu Estate
DISCOVER OUR STORY
Jelu was established to promote Argentina’s terroirs, Duncan sources organically grown grapes from a few regions, including the Zonda Valley in San Juan and Patagonia. The Zonda Valley is dry and hot with riverbed shingles and pudding stones that run two meters deep and radiate heat throughout the valley. This soil composition is quite extreme already, but the terroir is also transformed by temperature variations spanning 50 degrees over the course of a day in the height of summer. The grapes that are harvested in January (the southern hemisphere’s equivalent of July) which is relatively early compared to other producers in the region. Duncan does this to ensure that the wines ferment completely dry with balanced levels of acidity and alcohol. The high-elevation glacial valley produces distinctive wines that are bright, lively and truly expressive of both Duncan’s passion and the San Juan region itself.
