Zuccardi Tito 2014

Cellar for up to 12 years. No need to decant before serving.

Zuccardi is one of Argentina’s most respected family wineries thanks to the hard work of José, and his son, Sebastian, who have focused their efforts on producing premium wines from Mendoza’s high altitude Uco Valley. The winery has been around since the 1960s when it was founded by José’s father, Alberto, who actually planted his first vineyard here to show off a new irrigation system rather than to make wine. Today Alberto’s legacy lives on through this wine, Tito, which Sebastian has created in his honour.

This sublime cuvee is primarily a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also contains a small proportion of two rarer grapes, Ancellota and Caladoc. The fruit all comes from Zuccardi’s prized Paraje Altamira vineyard which sits at 1100 metres above sea level and has excellent well-draining alluvial and calcareous soils. The fruit is carefully selected at harvest time and fermented in a combination of barrels and concrete tanks before being left to mature in oak barrels.

The result is a characterful and intense red that exudes luscious dark fruit notes of cassis, blackberry and dark plum on the nose along with undertones of tobacco leaf, exotic spice, and dried herbs. On the palate there’s a full body, firm yet smooth tannins, and a well-developed structure which will help this wine age beautifully in the cellar for a few more years.