Aluvional Paraje Altamira 2017 Zuccardi

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (95)

The 2017 Aluvional Paraje Altamira comes from the south, in a newly planted part of Altamira, with more slopes and more heterogeneous soils and more stones. The wines have a big structure, the backbone is more austere, the wine less juicy; and there is more limestone and the soils are shallow. The wine has less concentration and less sweetness than the ones from the more traditional, flatter and deeper part of Altamira. There is a combination of power and finesse here. In 2017, they harvested very early, and the wine is just below 14% alcohol. 10,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2018.

BOW (8.50)

Vinous (96)

It’s easy to tell when a producer really knows their terroir, and that is certainly the case with this Malbec from Paraje Altamira, specifically the Piedra Infinita vineyard. Fermented in concrete and aged in 500-liter French barrels, the grapes are chosen from a selection of limestone rich soils ranging from 30cm to 70cm (12–28 inches) deep and split into 40 parcels, each of which gets a tank to itself. While the aromas are a glossary of the region, featuring fresh blackberry and plum, violet and thyme, in the mouth the wine unfolds like clockwork, the juicy freshness slotting the tannins into the overall structure.