Finca Los Membrillos 2016 Zuccardi

Tasting Notes

The first thing you notice is restraint. Mint, graphite and faint herbal notes driven by the calcareous soils of Paraje Altamira. In the mouth, firmness rather than lushness. Fine tannins, firm acidity and a salty finish remind us that this is a Cabernet grown at over 1,000 meters above sea level. This wine will drink well now and into the early 2040s. Decant for one hour before serving.

Grape Varieties

Finca Los Membrillos is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a claim in itself in a region dominated by Malbec. So why exactly is the Cabernet in Paraje Altamira? The limestone soil and altitude of 1,050 meters above sea level give Cabernet what it needs: long ripening, firm tannins and fresh acidity. The cool 2016 also meant that the Cabernet was more herbaceous and cassis-like in flavor, rather than riper and jammy.

Cellaring Potential

Drink between 2025 and 2040; the 2016 vintage gave this Cabernet Sauvignon strong natural acidity and firm but fine tannins. In cooler years, alcohol is lower and freshness lasts longer; store horizontally at 12-14°C, away from light; after 2030, the leather and tobacco flavors increase and the blackcurrant flavors fade.

The Producer

The Zuccardi company did not start with wine. It began with irrigation systems. Alberto Zuccardi planted vines in Maipú in 1963 to demonstrate his technical skills. Since then, the family has perfected what came out of that accident: the third generation, Sebastian Zuccardi, shifted his focus to the high-altitude Uco Valley in the early 2000s and opened his current winery in Paraje Altamira in 2016. He is considered one of the most exciting producers in South America today, partly because he has moved away from the oaky, jammy style of Mendoza that made the region famous.

Terroir & Climate

The Paraje Altamira winery is located in the southern part of the Uco Valley, which was granted Geographical Indication status in 2013. The soils are shallow sandy topsoil over a large gravel subsoil coated with calcium carbonate. This limestone coating gives the Cabernet Sauvignon its chalky tannins and salty flavor. At an elevation of approximately 1,100 meters, the region has hot days and cold nights. Rainfall is less than 250 millimeters per year. Without the melting snow from the Andes feeding the Tunuyán River, nothing would grow here.

Winemaking

The main attraction here is simple. Sebastian Zuccardi and winemaker Laura Príncipe ferment their wines in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts and age them in concrete or large 2500-5000 liter neutral foudres. Why? To let the lime soil speak for itself, not the blend. And it is remarkable. It tastes of stone and fruit, not vanilla and toast. No pumping over to extract every last bit from the grapes. The result is a Cabernet that feels like an Argentine Cabernet, not something borrowed from Napa or Bordeaux.

Food Pairing

Cabernet at high altitudes requires protein and some char. Remember the Mendoza classic:

• Asado de Tira (short rib of beef cooked over wood).
• Entraña (skirt steak) with chimichurri, whose herbs complement the minty notes of the wine.
• Provoleta, grilled provolone, the salt and smoke combines with the acidity of the wine.
• Aged hard cheeses if you don't eat meat.

Serve at 16-18°C. Decant about 1 hour before serving.