Zuccardi Zeta 2012
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 87% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A solid Super Mendoza wine with firm, polished tannins and wonderful depth. Full and compressed with a long finish. I really appreciate the cool fruit and hints of spices and black pepper. A blend of mostly malbec with some cabernet sauvignon. From La Consulta and Tupungato respectively.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Zeta is a blend of mostly Malbec from Altamira and some 10-15% of Cabernet Sauvignon from Gualtallary. This was previously a very traditional wine. However, the 2012 has seen a dramatic change. It used to be quite ripe and marked by new oak and now it's basically the opposite. Even in this warm vintage there is very good freshness (it has 14.5% alcohol) and only a small percentage of new oak is used with the rest kept in used barrels and cement vats. This might have extra complexity from the Cabernet that also adds backbone to the Malbec. Sebastian likes Cabernet from Gualtallary, because it retains the freshness. Quite a change even for the 2011, though surprisingly enough Sebastian tells me he considers 2012 a fresher vintage than 2011.
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Wine Spectator
A fleshy red, with savory notes to the dried cherry, red berry and red currant flavors. Notes of hot stone show midpalate. Finishes with snappy acidity and cedary accents. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2019.
Other Vintages
2011-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
A few years before 1950, Ing. Alberto Zuccardi reaches Mendoza from his homeland in Tucuman where their great-grandparents had settled upon arriving in the Italian region of AveIino. In 1963, Alberto implanted a vineyard in the region of Maipu not knowing that it would begin the great passion of his life, the wine industry. In 1990, his son, Jose Alberto Zuccardi, assumed the General Director of the company.
In 2005, Sebastian Zuccardi, third generation of the family, lead the development of the new stage of the wines of the winery expansion into the Uco Valley. On his initiative, since 2008 the winery has an area of Research and Development dedicated to the study of the terroir and the different variables that affect wine production. In 2013 the construction of the new Zuccardi winery in the Uco Valley began. It opened in March 2016 with the premise of producing wines with identity, through the continuous exploration of the different terroirs of the Uco Valley.
The Zuccardi family’s approach to sustainability starts with the environment and people before any product. They’re dedicated to producing the highest quality wines through sustainable practices such as a focus on nurturing biodiversity, organic farming, efficient irrigation practices, composting, water treatment, comprehensive waste and recycling efforts, and the use of solar energy. The winery itself is designed to be naturally energy efficient by maximizing natural light and minimizing electricity consumption. Its concrete walls fulfill the function of a thermal insulator, the movements of liquid are caused by gravity and the concrete-designed vessels allow for a natural control of the temperature of the wine. As a third generation family-owned winery, the Zuccardi’s take seriously their responsibility to protect the environment, support the land, the farmers and uplift the local community. Through building schools, offering free education, fostering equality, banning child labor, and subsidizing health care, they’re not only elevating their wines and the Uco Valley as a world class wine region, but also giving the people who have contributed to their success a path forward and upward mobility for their own families.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.