Zuccardi - Concreto Malbec 2022 750ml (14% abv)
"Concreto is a very important wine in my life. Starting to do it was a key step in our path, to free ourselves from the bonds and to deepen our confidence in the place we cultivate. In “Concrete” we seek to undress the wine, enhancing its expression of the place and showing the texture of the calcareous soils of Paraje Altamira bare. For this, we select only the most stony and calcareous parcels of the vineyard; and we vinify with the whole cluster as it was done in the past. Fermentation and aging are done completely in concrete vats without epoxy, seeking to avoid the influence of aromas and flavors that do not come from the vineyard, and to amplify the texture of the wine that transmits the energy of Paraje Altamira." - winemaker
sourced entirely from the Finca (Vineyard) Piedra Infinita in Paraje Altamira, La Consulta, which sits at an altitude of 3600 feet and has soil comprised of alluvial deposits, gravel, and calcium carbonate. Sebastián Zuccardi eschews oak barrels in favor of egg-shaped concrete vats for fermentation and aging so that the beautiful interplay between grape and terroir takes center stage in the finished wine.
ALTITUDE: 3,608 feet above sea level.
SOIL TYPE: Top soil, very rocky from 20 cm – 0,65 feet depth, with large deposits of calcareous material.
TOTAL ACIDITY: 5.7 g/l | RESIDUAL SUGAR: 1.8 g/l
This is a selection from shallow, stony, and calcareous soils from Altamira, so the vines are quite sensitive to heat...This fermented with full clusters that were foot trodden to prevent carbonic maceration and had a short maceration to get a fine-boned and elegant wine... This is a wine that always transcends the price point. 43,000 bottles produced.
95 pts from both James Sucking and Robert Parker
#43 wine spectator best of 2022
brooding, a unique dark earthiness, cracked black pepper, with some air beautiful blue and black fruit emerges, crushed violets, excellent mineral tension, medium bodied, polished, subtle chewy tannins, an authentic expression of Mendoza Malbec.
region: Paraje Altamira, San Carlos, Valle de Uco, Mendoza.
varietal: Malbec
style: red
farming/cellar: Fermentation in concrete vats without epoxy, with whole cluster and native yeasts, maceration for 20 days. Malolatic fermentation and aging in concrete vats.
pairing: