2016 Aluvional Paraje Altamira Malbec
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Aluvional Paraje Altamira has a subtle and elegant nose, nuanced and with very fine, chalky tannins, with grip and texture. It comes from the limestone-rich soils in their vineyards. It fermented in concrete with wild yeasts, with a higher proportion of full clusters than in warmer vintages (something they learned in 2016; before that, they thought they needed darker stems from higher ripeness) and 30% of the wine matured in barrique. It has structure and is very textured—the characteristic of this part of Altamira—and it has a savory, almost salty sensation in the finish. 10,400 bottles produced.
Critic scores
Average Score
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright saturated ruby. Alluring violet lift to the aromas of black fruits, smoky minerals and cumin. Densely packed but still a bit youthfully clenched, with strong mineral-driven acidity and an herbal/menthol note from the cool vintage keeping the wine under wraps today. Quite suave and fine-grained, finishing with broad, smooth tannins and subtle rising length, but not a wine to open now. Sebastián Zuccardi made the brave choice to harvest this fruit early and I suspect it will unfold slowly. He ferments these Aluvional wines in concrete and ages them in about two-thirds concrete and one-third 500-liter foudres . He normally works with 30% to 50% whole clusters "to build the backbone of the wine," noting that the stems don't normally lignify in this site "because if you waited longer to pick, the grapes would be overripe." But the 2016 growing season allowed for long hang time and the stems were properly ripe, he pointed out, although the percentage of whole clusters varied by plot. (from rocky calcium carbonate soil)
Wonderful aromas of blueberries and brambleberries follow through to a medium body, with integrated tannins that are chalky and dusty. Drink in 2020 and onwards.
About the producer
Based in the Uco Valley, Zuccardi is one of Argentina’s leading producers. Family owned and run – today by third-generation Sebastián Zuccardi – the property crafts pure-fruited wines that speak of their mountainous Mendoza terroir.