Winemaker Notes
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Q Malbec wants to showcase the variety in the Valle de Uco using grapes from Altamira and Chacayes. It fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and with some full clusters that were broken, and it matured in concrete and used French barriques. This differs from the Serie A in the vineyards; here, they look for more texture and less fruit, aiming for sharper and more austere, in the direction of Concreto. It's impressive how the wines from Zuccardi have improved in the last few years and how a wine at this price can have such precision and purity. No excess in any direction. Superb.
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Wine Enthusiast
Pure black plum along with natural dust and spice notes make for an alluring nose. This blend of Malbec fruit from Paraje Altamira and Vista Flores, both subzones of the Valle de Uco, is direct and abrupt on the palate, with grit. Meaty gamy slightly salty berry flavors are intense on a juicy finish with rubbery tannins.
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Wine Spectator
A robust red, with dark plum, dried cherry and wild herb flavors that are filled with muscular tannins. Intense dark chocolate notes linger on the racy finish. Drink now through 2021.
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.