Familia Zuccardi, Paraje Altamira Finca Piedra Infinita, Uco Valley 2020

Such a profound nose with plenty of mineral, wild herb, violet and dark cherry aromas and flavors. Full-bodied on the palate with plenty of seamless and powdery tannins which melt into the fruit. Super pristine, polished and refined. An iron fist in a velvet glove. Muscular but intellectual. Better after 2025.

They used more grapes from places with a little more soil and resistance to heat and dry conditions in a warmer year like 2020 for the 2020 Finca Piedra Infinita, which feels very young, primary and undeveloped. They have 46 separate plots in the vineyard, and in this early harvest, they started picking earlier than ever but during the harvest still felt they were too late; but the wines show much better than anticipated. Having the palette of wines to choose from helps in warmer years, when it's more difficult to keep the freshness in the wine, which for them is one of the most important things. It really feels very young and better than expected. They told me they learned a lot from 2017 to manage a year like 2020, when they do a shorter maceration (and in cooler years, they might do a longer maceration). This is gentler than the 2019, with rounder tannins. 8,500 bottles were filled in June 2021.

The vineyard site for the 2020 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita is separated into a handful of parcels with stones close to the surface and a distinct calcareous influence. Fermented 80-100% whole cluster in concrete, and aged again in concrete, it offers upfront concentrated fruit and a fleshy, generous palate of gravel, blood, and iron, evoking the Northern Rhône’s feral nature from a different place and time. Age through 2040.