Zuccardi 'Q' Old Vine Tempranillo

Sebastian Zuccardi, grandson of the founder, is now in charge at this trailblazing family winery. Rapidly establishing himself as one of the great winemaking talents of Argentina, he is determined to alter the world's perception of Malbec and evolve our understanding of what Mendoza has to offer. He talks of not seeking perfect wines, but those that express the place, the region. His vision is not altitude, it is terroir: terroir honed and shaped by the icy Andes flood waters whose power brought the rocks and boulders that now form the sub-soils of many of the very best vineyards. Frequently pictured waist deep in a muddy hole in one of these vineyards, these rocks not only form part of the vineyard but in their new winery, they form the building and the fermentation vessels. At the forefront of the movement towards greater fruit purity, Sebastian's wines are the most convincing argument for the use of concrete fermentation and ageing vessels and, as a result, for the movement towards a greater understanding of the potential of Malbec and of Argentina in general. Though we may be a little biased, it is fair to say that Sebastian is amongst the most influential young winemakers on the planet.

Tempranillo,

Zuccardi Q Tempranillo is sourced from selected old vines from Santa Rosa vineyards in Mendoza.

Selected bunches. Tanks are filled by gravity. Fermented in concrete vats with native yeast with a soft extraction by delestage and pigeage. Skin maceration after fermentation for 20-25 days. Full malolactic fermentation and oak ageing.

This is a wine of great structure with notes of tobacco, leather and chocolate. It can be enjoyed now but will also age beautifully over several years.

Great with grilled/roasted red meats, pizza or really versatile for tapas.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on Tempranillo Blog

From the low altitude of McLaren Vale we go to Santa Rosa in Mendoza, Argentina. Santa Rosa is in the East of the region, here we are only 600-800m above sea level, high up but nowhere near the dizzying heights of many Mendoza vineyards. Santa Rosa is in the foothills and rain shadow of the mighty Andes. At higher altitudes in places like the Uco Valley sub region, despite the heat and the intense sunshine, the temperatures are moderated, so cooler climate grapes can be grown; Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and leaner styles of Malbec. Santa Rosa does not benefit as much from this moderating altitude, so this is where warmer climate grapes such as Tempranillo thrive.

Familia Zuccardi are the oldest family-owned winery in the country, with Sebastian Zuccardi, grandson of the founder now in charge. It is safe to say that he is one of the most influential winemakers in the country at this time. For this wine, old vine Tempranillo grapes are handpicked and then meticulously selected. The treatment in the winery is gentle, with the wine being fermented in concrete to retain fruit purity. It is then aged in old oak so as to not overwhelm this, frankly, beautifully scented wine! When Argentine grapes are treated gently in the vineyard and winery, they have an amazingly bright and complex character. In the wine, you can sense the ripeness of the grapes, there is chocolate and tobacco but the palate is racy and full of vibrant strawberries usually associated with cooler climate Tempranillo. This is a fantastic accompaniment to any BBQ situation.