Zuccardi Tito Zuccardi 2015
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Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Intense red ruby color with purple hues. Very complex nose with black fruit aromas such as blackberry, plum and cherries. Hints of wild herbs, clove and black pepper. Silky entry with soft, juicy tannins. Very long finish.
Tito Zuccardi is a wine that has no limits. This unique blend has been developed in honor to Alberto Zuccardi, known to all as "Tito" - a great visionary who planted the first vineyards of the family. The wine is a blend of classic varieties with non-traditional exclusively from vineyards of Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley.
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Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Based on malbec (66 percent), this blend includes cabernet sauvignon, ancellotta and caladoc. Like all the latest releases from Zuccardi, this feels fresher than in the past, emphasizing red fruit and energy. It layers flavors of strawberries and cherries over generous tannins, the acidity intertwining with the fruit like the marbling in a steak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Tito Zuccardi is a blend of 90% Malbec with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Ancellotta from the Zuccardi estate vineyards in Paraje Altamira. It fermented in concrete vats, and only 40% of the volume matured in used 500-liter oak barrels while the rest remained in the concrete vats. This is always from Altamira even though the percentages and even the varieties can change. They used some full clusters to give it more backbone. There are plenty of tannins here to develop in bottle. This changed in 2014, moving away from the very powerful, concentrated and oaky style of the past, and in 2015 it's even purer, fresher and more defined, with more bone and less fat. 20,000 bottles were filled in August 2016.
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A few years before 1950, Ing. Alberto Zuccardi reaches Mendoza from his homeland in Tucuman where their great-grandparents had settled upon arriving in the Italian region of AveIino. In 1963, Alberto implanted a vineyard in the region of Maipu not knowing that it would begin the great passion of his life, the wine industry. In 1990, his son, Jose Alberto Zuccardi, assumed the General Director of the company.
In 2005, Sebastian Zuccardi, third generation of the family, lead the development of the new stage of the wines of the winery expansion into the Uco Valley. On his initiative, since 2008 the winery has an area of Research and Development dedicated to the study of the terroir and the different variables that affect wine production. In 2013 the construction of the new Zuccardi winery in the Uco Valley began. It opened in March 2016 with the premise of producing wines with identity, through the continuous exploration of the different terroirs of the Uco Valley.
The Zuccardi family’s approach to sustainability starts with the environment and people before any product. They’re dedicated to producing the highest quality wines through sustainable practices such as a focus on nurturing biodiversity, organic farming, efficient irrigation practices, composting, water treatment, comprehensive waste and recycling efforts, and the use of solar energy. The winery itself is designed to be naturally energy efficient by maximizing natural light and minimizing electricity consumption. Its concrete walls fulfill the function of a thermal insulator, the movements of liquid are caused by gravity and the concrete-designed vessels allow for a natural control of the temperature of the wine. As a third generation family-owned winery, the Zuccardi’s take seriously their responsibility to protect the environment, support the land, the farmers and uplift the local community. Through building schools, offering free education, fostering equality, banning child labor, and subsidizing health care, they’re not only elevating their wines and the Uco Valley as a world class wine region, but also giving the people who have contributed to their success a path forward and upward mobility for their own families.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.