2019 | Familia Zuccardi | Fosil Chardonnay

Argentina's Zuccardi are the masters of malbec - perhaps they should start their own online retailer - but they're also pretty handy with other grapes like chardonnay. This is their top of the range model, from a single high altitude vineyard in the Uco Valley. This is fermented with wild yeasts in a mixture of concrete vessels and 500 litre used oak barrels. These provide freshness and texture without adding any overt oakiness. This is top stuff which takes on the very best from Burgundy, Chile and California. Take a sniff and there's lemons and peaches with a hint of oaky sweetness. The palate is lean but ripe with stone fruit and even a little pineapple, backed up by a little toastiness and nuts. Very long and complex.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2019 Fósil San Pablo is a Chardonnay from San Pablo that follows the steps of the 2018, with its moderate alcohol and notable acidity and freshness. It comes from grapes planted at 1,400 meters above sea level in the coolest place possible. It's citrusy and has notes of aromatic herbs with restraint. On the palate, it's vibrant and very dry, with marked chalkiness. It's more about the place than the grape. (LG)
• James Suckling: This mostly concrete-produced chardonnay shows freshness and complexity with dried apple, stone and lemon rind. Honeysuckle, too. Lovely creaminess. Undertone of salt. No malo. Tangy and intense. One for the cellar.

Producer Information

Familia Zuccardi is a family-run winery based out of the Bodega Santa Julia in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The company boasts numerous brands, each with a wide range of wines, covering classic Argentinian varieties (the wines are often varietally labeled) as well as numerous styles including sweet and sparkling wines. Zuccardi produced the country's first premium Tempranillo and also runs olive oil brand Zuelo. Founder Alberto Zuccardi moved to Mendoza in the 1940s from Tucumán, over 900km (560 miles) north, where his grandparents had settled after emigrating from Avelino, Italy. Due to the scarcity of water in the Mendoza region, Alberto experimented with a new irrigation system and, wanting to prove its worth to his neighbors, he planted a vineyard in Maipu. The experiment led to Zuccardi becoming one of the most prominent and prosperous wineries in Argentina. The Familia Zuccardi winery was built in 1968 and, when son José Alberto joined the team in 1976, he made several innovations that made the winery what it is today. After readjusting the vineyards to produced optimal quality, the resulting wine from the vineyard was dubbed Santa Julia, for José's only daughter. José also introduced a new portfolio of wines called Zuccardi Q – standing for "quality" – with fruit sourced from the best and oldest parcels. The first Zuccardi Q wine released was the 1997 vintage of Tempranillo, the first premium Tempranillo produced in Argentina.

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