Winemaker Notes
Red color with violet hues. Expresses a great herbal character with notes of fresh red fruits. Lively acidity and subtlety of tannins in the mouth.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Named for winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi’s grandfather Alberto (Tito). Co-fermented Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Dark berries, violets and a juicy roundness meet a touch of leafiness and austerity from grainy textured tannins. Balanced and integrated, fresh, faint notes of smoke and clove.
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James Suckling
Extremely aromatic, offering crushed berries and strawberries with some flowers, such as roses. Medium body. Firm, silky tannins with a refined texture and focus at the end.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The performance of the 2018 Polígonos Paraje Altamira Malbec was superb. It seems to have gained in precision and has kept the freshness of 2016, which was a cooler year. They work with more full clusters in Altamira, as they think it gives backbone and helps polish the tannins. It's very pure aromatically, and it has a velvety, harmonious texture, though a little grainier than the one from San Pablo.
Rating: 93+
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Wine & Spirits
This isn’t your usual full-throttle malbec. Sebastián Zuccardi blends it from a parcel of vines growing in the calcareous soils of Altamira, their roots wrapping around granite stones covered in a layer of calcium carbonate. The 2018 seems to translate the brightness of those white soils in its brisk, radiant flavor. It’s super spicy, a frisky red that’s light enough to pair with grilled fish steaks topped with tapenade.
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.