Zuccardi Q Malbec 2020 (Argentina) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2019 Zuccardi Q Malbec last summer, tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of this consistently well-made Malbec that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the March 19 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Zuccardi Wines was founded by Alberto Zuccardi in 1963 in Maipú, Mendoza, with a strong visionary and innovative spirit. With winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi, the third generation of the family continues its strong tradition and lead the development of the new stage of the winery, including a dedicated area within the winery for Research and Development to study of the terroir and the different variables that affect wine production. Today, Sebastián is globally recognized as an ambassador for Argentina's unique terroirs, most notably in the high elevation Uco Valley in Southern Mendoza. The goal is to produce wines with identity through the different terroirs in a sustainable manner. Zuccardi Valle de Uco has been named Best Vineyard in the World for the last three consecutive years.

This Malbec is from Zuccardi's "Q" range of regional wines that began as a project in 1999 when they marked the best vineyards and plots with the letter "Q" for Quality. These designated vineyards and plots are given extra care and attention during growing and vinification process in order to produce wines of exceptional quality.

Once again, this 100% Malbec is comprised of grapes grown in the IG Paraje Altamira (San Carlos) at 1,100 metres (3,600 feet) above sea level, and in IG Los Chacayes (Tunuyán) at at 1,000 metres (3,200 feet) above sea level. Both of these regions are situated in the Uco Valley, and although the percentage of grapes from each IG was not specified, Paraje Altamira grapes typically dominate the blend.

In Paraje Altamira, the very heterogeneous soils originated in the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán river, in its upper zone. The sandy loam surface has medium and large gravels and at variable depths, with abundant calcareous material throughout. In Los Chacayes, the soils originated in a series of super-imposed alluvial fans from the middle of the Uco Valley. The very heterogeneous soils are normally sandy loam with moderately eroded strata of small stones, with occasional coverage of calcium carbonate or gypsum.

The exceptional 2020 vintage was characterized by limited yields and the surprisingly high speed of maturity. Combined with the pandemic, this really fast vintage was one of their most challenging ever. However, the grapes arrived at the winery healthy and in high quality, generally showing excellent aromatic complexity and a lot of juiciness, texture and structure in the mouth. The grapes were selected by cluster, filled by gravity, and fermented in concrete vessels using native yeasts. Like previous vintages, it was aged in a combination of concrete and used 500 L unroasted French oak barrels. Let's see how this Uco Valley Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2020 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $20.95
From grapes grown at high-altitudes in Paraje Altamira (San Carlos) and Los Chacayes (Tunuyán), this 100% Malbec has a fragrant, medium-high intensity nose that is stony with dark berry, and purple fruit aromas with subtle dark cherry, dried herb, and spice. The lovely stony notes continue on the dry, medium+ bodied palate with dark berry, purple fruit, spice, and plum flavours, all of which are supported by fresh, well-balanced acidity and refined, dusty textured tannins. Stony notes linger on the long, crisp, and balanced finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

There are many fine Zuccardi wines available at the LCBO, including the 2021 Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés I enjoyed last the weekend, while other wines not found at the LCBO can be ordered through their Agent - The Bacchus Group.

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Zuccardi Q Malbec 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

I enjoyed the 2018 Zuccardi Q Malbec earlier this year, and for tonight's wine review I am delighted to try the 2019 edition as it returned to the LCBO last weekend as part of the July 10 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Zuccardi Wines was founded with a strong visionary and innovative spirit in Maipú, Mendoza in 1963. In 2005, Sebastián Zuccardi, the grandson of founder Alberto Zuccardi, becomes the third generation of the family to continue the strong family tradition and lead the development of the new stage of the winery. Starting in 2008, Sebastián dedicated an area of the winery to Research and Development to study of the terroir and the different variables that affect wine production. In 2016, Zuccardi Wines opened their new winery with the goal of producing wines with identity through the different terroirs of the Uco Valley, while also crafting their wines using sustainable practices.

This Malbec is from Zuccardi's "Q" range of regional wines, a project that began in 1999 when they marked the best vineyards and plots with the letter "Q" - which stands for Quality. During the growing and vinification process, these grapes are given extra care and attention in order to produce wines of exceptional quality.

Like the previous vintage, this Malbec is composed of fruit from the Uco Valley, specifically from IG Paraje Altamira (San Carlos) grown at 1,100 metres (3,600 feet) elevation, and IG Los Chacayes (Tunuyán) that was grown at 1,000 metres (3,200 feet) elevation. The soils in Altamira, which is located on the southern side of the Tunuyán river, originated from in the alluvial fan of the Tunuyán river, in its upper zone. The soils are very heterogeneous (diverse) with sandy loam on the surface and medium and large gravels at various depths, along with an abundance of calcareous material. In Los Chacayes, which is located at the foot of the Andes, the soils originated in a series of superimposed alluvial fans, in the middle zone of the Uco Valley. Again, the soils are heterogeneous with a mix of mostly sandy loam with strata of moderately eroded small stones, with occasional coverage of calcium carbonate or gypsum.

The exceptional harvest in 2019 was fresh and dry, with temperatures below average and great thermal amplitude (diurnal temperatures). The result was very good natural acidity, tannin structure, and excellent, ripe (but not over-ripe) fruit. Let's see how this 2019 Malbec is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2019 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $19.95
This 100% Malbec from Altamira (70%) and Los Chacayes (30%) was fermented in concrete vessels using native yeasts, followed by ageing 70% in concrete and 30% in used 500 L untoasted French oak barrels. The intense, bright, and spicy nose offers aromas of dark berry, purple fruit, stony mineral, and dried herbs. The chewy, medium+ bodied palate has lovely spicy, dark berry, and purple fruited flavours with stony mineral notes adding interest. It's framed by fresh, lively acidity and refined, supple tannins that have a slightly dusty/grippy texture, leading to a nicely balanced, juicy, spicy, and savoury finish, with very good length. A perennial recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

There are many fine Zuccardi wines available at the LCBO, while other wines not found at the LCBO can be ordered through their Agent - The Bacchus Group.

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Zuccardi Q Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

For my first wine of 2021, tonight's wine review is a lovely Malbec that is a frequent visitor to the LCBO as a VINTAGES listing and most recently arrived on shelves across Ontario as part of the June 13, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release. While a few bottles of the 2018 may still be available throughout the province, the 2019 will be arriving aplenty as part of the January 9, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Viticulturist Sebastián Zuccardi grew up in a winegrowing family that had a strong visionary and innovative spirit which began with Sebastián's grandfather in prior to 1963 and passed down to his father. Sebastián studied at the Agricultural School, becoming a winemaker and continued his studies as an Agricultural Engineer.

Today, Sebastián is the third generation of the winegrowing family and leads a young agricultural and winemaking team with the goal of crafting wines that express the place and region through the continuous exploration of the different terroirs in the Uco Valley. Since 2008, under Sebastián's initiative, Zuccardi established an area of research and development dedicated to the study of the terroir and the many variables that affect the production of the wine.

I've tasted and enjoyed many Zuccardi wines over the years, including several from the Zuccardi Q line that was launched in 1999, but this is the first time I've profiled the Q Malbec. The "Q" stands for Quality, and the project was a great yearning for Sebastián Zuccardi's dad as he did the work in the vineyards that were started by Sebastián's grandfather in 1963. The Zuccardi Q line of wines is special for the family as they were the first wines to bear the Zuccardi name.

In the vineyard, the best plots of each vineyard are marked with a "Q", denoting that these vines require special attention to achieve grapes of exceptional quality. which in turn help to produce exceptional wines. Zuccardi also employed the farm workers with better skills to work these particular plots. The Zuccardi Q Malbec is a regional wine, using specially selected grapes from specially selected vineyards in the micro-regions of Paraje Altamira (San Carlos) and Los Chacayes (Tunuyán), the two main sub-regions within the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Los Chacayes is a distinct area that previously used to be part of the broader Vista Flores region, hence the labelling on the bottle.

Tasting Note:

ZUCCARDI Q MALBEC 2018 - Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (#723478) (XD) - $19.95
100% Malbec from Paraje Altamira (San Carlos) at 1,100 metres elevation and Los Chacayes (Tunuyán) at 1,000 metres elevation. It was vinified using gravity-flow, native yeasts, and underwent malolactic fermentation. It was also aged in a combination of concrete and oak. The medium-high intensity nose has a savoury core surrounded by ripe blackberry, smoky mineral, and spice accented with violet florals. The palate is medium-bodied with more ripe blackberry flavours followed by spice, violet, and smoky mineral notes. There's some warmth on the mid-palate, along with fresh, lively acidity and smooth, fine-grained tannins that are nicely textured. Finishes with smoky mineral notes and some chalkiness on the long, satisfying finish. Score: 89 pts

There are many fine Zuccardi wines available at the LCBO, while other wines not found at the LCBO can be ordered through their Agent - The Bacchus Group.

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Kaiken Ultra Las Rocas Malbec 2018 (Argentina) - Wine Review

For tonight's wine review, I continue the series on some lovely Malbec wines from Argentina. This particular bottle is arriving at the LCBO as part of the December 12, 2020 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Kaiken Wines, the name of which comes from the Caiquén wild goose from Patagonia that flies across The Andes between Argentina and Chile. Like the border-crossing Caiquén, Aurelio Montes, founder of Chilean winery Bodega Montes, made several trips across the Andes to Argentina and in the year 2000 he rediscovered Mendoza as a generous land, filled with superb vines and hardworking people. Although the winery was built in 1920, it was in 2001 that Aurelio realized Mendoza was the perfect place to make Kaiken Wines.

Today, the winemaking team consists of Chilean Gustavo Hörmann and Argentinean Rogelio Rabino, with support from Aurelio Montes. Kaiken owns vineyards in some of the most prestigious regions of Argentina with the goal of crafting wines that faithfully express the terroir they come from. The philosophy at Kaiken has always been to produce premium wines with respect for the environment and our collaborators, promoting a sustainable culture in all stages of the winemaking process, including the use of biodynamics.

Although this Malbec is generically labelled from Mendoza, the grapes were actually grown in three separate vineyards located in the sub-regions of the Uco Valley. The first batch comes from Los Chacayes in Tunuyán at an elevation of 4,101 ft. (1,250 m) where the climate is temperate with cool nights and the soils are rocky and mixed with coarse sand and some lime with low fertility and high permeability. The second parcel of Malbec comes from Altamira in San Carlos that was grown at 3,937 ft. (1,200 m) above sea level and has a large diurnal temperature range with cold nights and warm days. The soil in Altamira is chalky with sand, lime, and stones. The third and final parcel of Malbec comes from an extremely high-elevation vineyard in Gualtallary, Tupungato, at 4,265 - 5,249 ft. (1,300 - 1,600 m) above sea level. This area in Gualtallary also has a large diurnal temperature range, along with instances of Zonda wind - a strong, dry wind - and has alluvial, poor, and stony soils, with an important quantity of calcium carbonate and sand. All of the grapes were manually harvested and fermented in concrete tanks and aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels for 12 months. The name of this delicious wine "Las Rocas" comes from the hundreds of rounded boulders that lie among the vines at their Los Chacayes vineyard in Tunuyán.

Tasting Note:

KAIKEN ULTRA LAS ROCAS MALBEC 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#50849) (XD) - $19.95
100% Malbec from three separate vineyards across the Uco Valley grown at 3,937 - 5,249 ft. (1,200 m - 1,600 m) above sea level. Spicy, medium+ intensity aromas are layered over blackberry, dark berry, and smoky dark minerals with touches of oak. Lovely floral and peppery spice aromas arrive with time in the glass. It's medium-bodied on the palate with nice dark berry, dark mineral, blackberry, and touches of violet on the flavour profile. Succulent acids are juicy and well-balanced, while gritty tannins seem just a bit tight at the moment. Dark berry and mineral notes linger on the tight finish, with very good length. Enjoy over the next 5 years. Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from Kaiken can be found at the LCBO or through their Agent - Trajectory Beverage Partners.

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