Zuccardi’s Wines, A Pure Expression of the Mountains that Created Them.
Revealing the many faces of the Uco Valle terroir.
Jan de Weerd - Spoken Wines
This will hide itself!
Zuccardi’s Wines, A Pure Expression of the Mountains that Created Them.
Revealing the many faces of the Uco Valle terroir.
While hiking the Cerro San Pedro Trail in the Andes Mountains, I experienced the natural forces creating the wines of Valle de Uco, Argentina, and so beautifully expressed by Zuccardi. From the snow capped mountain peaks providing the water for the vines, to the rocks and minerals that that came tumbling down and carried by the streams to create the soils, to the continental climate dictated by the mountains shaping the grapes grown on those soils to give us the wines.
The terroirs shaped by the mountains.
Martin di Stefano, the head viticulturist, and simply referred to as agronomist (hey, that would make me a viticulturist 🤓) went in length explaining that the soils were shaped by alluvial fans. These fan shaped rocky soils had been created by rivers and streams coming down the mountains over millions of years depositing unique fingerprints of rocks and minerals.
The snow, the frost, the rain and sun make the rock of the mountains crack and crumble. The rocks tumbled down the mountains and get carried down by the creeks and tributaries towards the valley below. The dissolved minerals flowing down the mountain get deposited again on the rocks to enrich the soils. And this is how the terroirs of the vineyards are created.
Rocks tumbled down the mountains and get carried down by the creeks towards the valley.
A commitment to unmasked purity and transparency.
In 2009 the family went all in to a commitment to create wines that express the true identity and diversity of Uco Valle terroirs. The transformation was lead by Sebastian Zuccardi, the oldest son of Jose Alberto Zuccardi and viticulturist in the family. It was a commitment to both understanding the overwhelming diversity of the Uco Valle terroir and in applying the knowledge gained of these terroirs through precision viticulture and winemaking. In expressing the true identity of the individual terroir, Zuccardi took it a step further by mapping the soils in great detail and shaping the vineyards parcels following the natural contours of the mapped soil types unlike traditional vineyards. The mapping of the soils allows Zuccardi to ‘precision viticulture’ these parcels and provide the optimum management for each parcel. By adjusting row density, trellis systems, irrigation and canopy management for each of the parcels they are able to grow grapes that optimally express their terroir. These precision managed parcels lead to optimal maturity at harvest, allowing Zuccardi to produce uncompromised, expressive, high quality wines unique to the parcel. Zuccardi is revealing the unique identity of these terroirs in their wines by no longer fermenting and aging in oak. Most of their wines are now produced in 100% concrete ranging from a small 1000 liter concrete ‘egg’ to large 10,000 liters concrete vats. This allows them to show the authentic flavor of the wines without oak interference.
Most of Zuccardi's wines are now produced concrete.
The authentic reflection of the mountain terroirs in Zuccardi's wines
Impressive examples of wines we loved are their explosive whites like the Fosil Chardonnay, the expressive, precision Malbec wines from the Alluvial series that are made from blends of vineyards within a distinctive sub zone of a geographical defined region or 'indication'. But we found nirvana with the single vineyard expressions of Piedra Infinita and the Las Cerrilladas that cannot really be described as you simply have to taste them. The Las Cerrilladas is so subtle, smooth yet complex with uplifting aromas of black olive, rosemary, and anise; it makes you feel as if you were entering your Italian grandmothers kitchen.
Zuccardi is revealing the many faces of the Uco Valle terroir in a pure and transparent way that is unique and authentic. The wines are focused, intense and uniquely expressive each in their own way. Their new style of wine making is reinvigorating and is revolutionizing Mendoza wines ensuring the region remains relevant and leading player in the international wine scene.
