Winemaker Notes
Intense red black. Complex nose that highlights ripe black and red fruit aromas; subtle spicy notes. Firm and mature tannins that give structure to the wine. Fresh and elegant due to great acidity. Long finish.
Blend: 95% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A full-bodied and expressive malbec with 5% cabernet sauvignon. Minerals, black cherries and cool blue fruit. A touch of cocoa powder, but there is nothing plush. Concentrated but austere, with tons of juicy fruit and dusty tannins treading into a long, bright finish. Fermented in concrete and aged 24 months in foudres. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from Altamira and Gualtallary, the 2021 José Zuccardi is 95% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was fermented in concrete before maturing two years in foudre. It is an homage to Sebastián's father, aiming to evoke the historic wines of Argentina—as Sebastián says, "not the 1990s or 2000s, but the 1940s or 1950s." It leads with an inviting, focused nose of black fruits and balsamic accents, introducing a creamy, svelte and taut palate. It concludes with a seamless, refined and elegantly decadent finish. It is a perfect marriage of classically informed richness and contemporary precision.
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Vinous
The 2021 Malbec Jose Zuccardi contains a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon. It aged for 24 months in 2,500-liter French oak foudres. This is subtle and composed, with aromas of violet, lavender and field herbs framed by cedar. The style has evolved toward finesse and juicy texture, with chalky tension and fine grain. Remarkably, this has carved out its own identity.
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Wine Spectator
Smooth in texture, yet there’s a pleasant vibrancy lifting the flavors, with a loam and herb base to the compact core of floral, plum and cherry notes, all rounded out by spice and espresso details on the structured finish. Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2036.
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.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.