Zuccardi : Concreto Malbec 2016

A Pure Expression of Argentine Malbec

With their first vineyard in the Maipu region of Mendoza purchased in 1963 to display Albert Zuccardi's new irrigation systems, the Zuccardi family wine business has since then grown into one of the most important in Argentina. The winery is located in Maipu, while the estate includes vineyards in all of the major viticultural ares of Mendoza (among them, the very promising Vista Flores, La Consulta and Altamira), giving the team a rich variety of terroirs and climates to work with. Known as one of the most innovative and creative of all Mendoza producers, Zuccardi is now quite a large operation, but has remained wholly family owned and operated since the beginning. The single-varietal Malbec Concreto 2016 is made from Malbec, grown in the cool climate of the Uco Valley at an altitude of 1110 meters above sea level. The terroir is characterized by a very rocky top soil with large deposits of calcareous material. Fermentation of the wine is carried out in concrete vats, with half fermented whole-cluster, using only indigenous yeast. Maceration takes place for 20 days. Then, both malolactic fermentation and maturation takes place in concrete vats. The lack of oak in the preparation of this wine allows for a pure expression of Malbec, a varietal originally from the Cahors region of France but which has become most emblematic of Argentina.

In the glass, the Malbec Concreto 2016 from Zuccardi presents a gorgeous red color with violet reflections. On the nose, the wine expresses a beautiful herbal character, alongside plenty of red fruit notes. On the palate, this Zuccardi Malbec wine is incredibly long, offering a distinctive mineral texture, which reflects the rocky soils of the terroir. A wine of great structure and acidity, the Malbec Concreto 2016 is a red wine built to age.

Wine Advocate-Parker :
A little closed and in need of air, the 2016 Concreto Malbec was produced from an unusual, cool and rainy year and is a very particular and austere expression of Malbec from Altamira. It's simply unbelievable how nuanced and insinuating this wine is, with austerity but unfurling layers and layers as the wine sits in the glass, with tons of aromatic herbs reminiscent of the landscape and the smell of the countryside where the plants grow. It has a linear and symmetrical palate with precision and purity. This is worth more than it costs! This has to be the best Concreto to date. Some 13,000 bottles were produced from this short vintage. Unfortunately, this time the high quality doesn't come with a high quantity.