(2022) From the company founded by Susana Balbo in 1999, this comes from vineyards in the Uco Valey a almost 4,000ft, the premium selection of grapes spending 13 months in French oak, 30% new. It displays Malbec's more charming, violet and lifted, kirsch-like aspect beautifully. the sheen of oak is glossy and adds depth, with a little cigar-box sophistication. In the mouth it's über-plush, svelte and refined black fruit flooding-across the mid-palate. But there is backbone and edge to this wine too, that smooth character cajoled and coaxed into something more grippy and intense by big, powerful grape and oak tannins, really decisive acidity, and a smoky barrel-created depth. It's a concentrated but elegant Malbec that certainly needs a chunk of red meat protein now, but which should cellar for a decade and more.
(2022) Made in concrete eggs (hence concreto), with wild yeasts, this comes from some of Zuccardi's stoniest soils in the Uco Valley and was made with 100% whole bunches. Super deep and vibrant colour, there is meatiness and earthiness on the nose often found with wild ferments, the palate loaded with savoury dark fruit, plum and a broad stripe of liquorice, whole bunch fermentation perhaps also adding a little firm, hessian character in the finish.
(2022) From the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina, there's a meatiness here, but also a sense of plushness with quite thick and rich red and black fruit, a touch of dark cocoa too. On the palate a big wine, substantial depth of black fruit, but a nice gravelly edge that gives it freshness. There's a sour cherry bite to the acidity too, again helping cut through the meaty density of the wine.
(2018) A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat from a single, high-altitude vineyard in the Agrelo sub-region of Mendoza, this is a serious red blend that spent 18 months in French oak barrels. Interestingly however, it also uses augmented reality to tell the story of the vineyard, a beautifully done and entertaining adjunct to the stuff in the bottle: download the app, point your phone at the label, and the label 'comes to life' to tell the story in words and pictures. As for the wine, its a lovely Bordeaux-style blend, graphite and peppery spice layering ripe blackcurrant fruit on the nose, the medium-bodied palate creamy and juicy, chewy but slick tannins and an agile cherry-pit acidity giving length to the wine's volume. At time of review there are limited retailers of the 2015 vintage, and Corking Wines are listing the 2016.
(2016) From the southerly Los Indios vineyard in Uco at 1100 metres altitude, this is 60% Malbec, 30% Cabernetnet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah that is aged 12 months in new French oak. The Cab adds a lot of black fruit cassis depth, but then so does the gentle char and chocolate of the oak. The palate has a lovely fresh acidity, real spark of cherry skin grip and energy. This does not appear to be available in UK retail.
(2016) From Gualtallary in Uco at 1350 metres, 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Malbec, 5% Casavecchia. 12 months in new oak. Just the merest hint of menthol or olive, but it is plush again, and has a little herby note against the chocolate plushness. A delightful raciness of the red fruit skin acidity against dry, chocolate tannins, and the sweet fruit persisting. A very nice wine again. A little more meat and tannin than the 1100.
(2016) Beautiful, quite high tones, with plenty of raspberry and definite floral aspects – rose and violet. 10 months in second use barrel. A delightful spicy red fruit, raspberry ripple but then the tight tannins and juicy acidity give it real grip and structure too, a lovely combination.
(2016) Fine, light earth and smoky schist, with a lovely buoyant fruit character, again the 2nd use barrel for 10 months, and then a very rippling, ripe fruit palate, with great balance and tight black fruit acid freshness. Has some of the sour cherry and citrus in the finish. Not listed in the UK at time of review.
(2016) With 5% Petit Verdot in the blend, 13 months in French oak, 30% new and 70% second use. From Altamira vineyards in the Uco Valley. Gorgeous nose, peppery and fresh, a nice floral/herbal lift. Delicious and racy element to the palate, a rich black fruit intenstity, touch of meatiness, but really the fresh fruit drives this. Cherry and almost plump, fresh Agen prune.
(2016) Eleven months in French oak, second use barrels, fruit from Gualtallary. Ripe, cassis and blackcurrant jam nose, but not confected, it has a polish and a freshness, with a smoothing layer of creamy oak melding with the black fruit, lots of spice, but it is all about the juicy plum flesh ripeness. Delicious and long with meaty but ripe tannins and good acidity. Not in UK at time of writing.
