Zuccardi, Serie A Malbec 2012, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Tasting Note: This malbec is tentative and doesn’t yet know if it wants to be an Old World or New World styled wine.

Purple in color, this malbec has a nose of ripe, jammy black fruit including black currant, black plum, and black cherry with some ginger baking spice.

On the palate there is also fruit but is not as ripe as that suggested on the nose.

Fruit rides under a thin layer of acid and a slightly thicker layer of tannin. Medium-bodied, the wine presents some mid-to-rear palate complexity.

The fruit is somewhat muted in a more French, Old World, red wine style.

If you let the wine gather some air, it will also reveal subtle notes of mint and eucalyptus on the finish, but not when poured directly from bottle; it’s an evolving flavor characteristic that makes this wine more interesting than a first sip suggests.

Bottle Note: The Zuccardi Serie A range demonstrates the richness and diversity of Argentina’s many micro-climates and soils. Serie A stands for “Argentina Series” as the way of expressing our most representative grape varieties by recognizing the best growing regions specific to each, and selecting top vineyard sites along the foothills of the Andes Mountains. This malbec has a purple-black color and it bursting black currant and plum aromas. It is full-bodied with rich black cherry and chocolate notes and a velvety finish. All grapes are from estate vineyards in the Uco Valley, an exceptional area for malbec, with the perfect combination of altitude and stony soils with large rock deposits, giving eh wine fresh, spicy notes and structured, yet soft tannins.