We LOVE the vast array of wines that are available to us, but we do have our favorites. We savor them year after year and eagerly await the arrival of each new vintage. Today’s pre-arrival offer is one of those wines. Rich and complex yet graceful and ethereal, it beguiles the senses and leaves an indelible imprint on one’s memory. The latest release lives up to its predecessors, so go ahead and treat yourself!

The Zuccardi Winery is the crown jewel of an Argentinian family dynasty that started with the establishment of the Santa Julia Winery in Mendoza in 1963 by Alberto Zuccardi. Santa Julia based its enormous success on the production of the highest quality wines made in harmony with the environment and with reverence for the rich terroir of Mendoza.

Third-generation owner and winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi, dubbed a "terroir-ist" by Wine Advocate, spearheaded the construction of the winery bearing the family name in the Uco Valley; it is here that he has built upon the family tradition and crafted some of the most prolific wines to come out of Mendoza. Why? He knows not to interfere with the gifts that nature has bestowed on his vineyards. He takes a non-interventionist approach to his craft, creating wines that are decadent reflections of this sun-drenched land.

With Concreto, winemaker Sebastián Zuccari eschewed oak and “undressed” the wine, thus enhancing its expression of place and revealing the texture imparted by the calcareous soils of the Uco Valley. He selected only the most stony and calcareous plots of the vineyard. Fermentation and storage were carried out completely in concrete vessels without epoxy, to eliminate the influence of aromas and flavors that do not come from the vineyard, and to amplify the texture that conveys the energy of the Uco Valley. (from winery notes)

The 2023 Zuccardi Concreto Malbec has a pure, vibrant profile driven by ripe fruits and stony minerality. Beautifully straddling the line between opulence and elegance, it features intense aromas of purple flowers, violets, black and blue fruits, and herbs. The palate is dense yet fresh, offering rich flavors of cassis, blackberries, black raspberries, and black cherries, with accents of savory herbs, cacao, and peppery spice. Notes of wet stone and salinity are nods to the terroir. The wine finishes long, with bright, youthful acidity.

Check out the press!

96 points, Jeb Dunnuck:
"Fermented 100% whole-cluster, then fermented and aged one year in concrete, the 2023 Malbec Concreto was the first wine made in the modern-day Zuccardi winery, a wine that changed winemaker Sebastian Zuccardi's philosophy of winemaking. Forgoing oak and sweet fruit, he seeks first and foremost to express freshness in his wines, finding a strong sense of place through stony minerality and a touch of wild herb. Thick and richly concentrated, it is a testament to his dedication to concrete fermentation and aging, the 100% varietal wine fermenting entirely in concrete amphorae before spending 11 months in 100% concrete tank. The wine is duly-textured, complex, and lively, retaining freshness amidst a plush structure with plenty of length. Drink now through 2038."

95 points, James Suckling:
"Such a naked, floral malbec. Stripped down, with fresh blackberries, blueberries, violets, stone, iodine, and graphite. Full-bodied and tight with fresh, succulent fruit in a deep set. Intense, flavorful, and very composed. Tannins are firm, tight, and gritty. Drink or hold."

94 points, Wine Advocate:
"As ever, the 2023 Concreto Malbec represents the Zuccardi style and philosophy as efficiently as possible at an aggressively reasonable price point. A blend of fruit from calcareous soils in Altamira and Gualtallary, it leads with a simmering, contained bouquet of black and blue fruits, purple flowers, and desert herbs, followed by a dense, oily, and tensile palate. It concludes with an intense, inky yet elegant finish lifted by focused minerality and streaks of salinity."

Order the 2023 Zuccardi Concreto Malbec now through Monday, February 2nd, at 4 PM. Orders will be ready for pickup on Wednesday, February 4th, after 4 PM.

CHEERS!
ABV: 14%