Zuccardi, 2022 Polígonos del Valle de Uco, Cabernet Franc, Paraja Altamira, Mendoza, Argentina
Cab Franc du Jour #161
For three generations the Zuccardi family has been among the great pioneers of viticulture and winemaking in Argentina. In 1963, Alberto Zuccardi planted the family’s first vineyard to showcase a new irrigation system he had invented, an innovation that would go on to reshape the viticultural landscape of Mendoza. Today the winery is led by third-generation Sebastián Zuccardi, one of the leading winemakers of his generation and a deeply committed and curious student of the terroirs of the Uco Valley, supported by viticulturalist Martín Di Stefano and head winemaker Laura Principiano. Zuccardi’s work with Cabernet Franc began roughly 10 to 15 years ago, and today the estate farms about 23 hectares of the variety across Paraje Altamira, San Pablo, and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, alongside some additional fruit sourced from grower partners. Several single-varietal expressions are produced, including three in the Polígonos range, wines intended to reflect the diversity of terroirs across the valley.
Cabernet Franc in Argentina: A 2025 Update
Before exploring the specifics of this wine, it is worth pausing to take stock of where Argentina stands with Cabernet Franc, because there is arguably nowhere else in the world where the variety is experiencing such momentum right now. As of 2024, there were 2,008 hectares of Cabernet Franc planted in the country. While that still represents around 1% of total vineyard area, nearly 1,400 hectares have been planted since 2010, with approximately 750 hectares added in just the last five years.
Given that vines typically require three to five years to produce fruit of real quality, and another five to ten years before the merits of the vineyard and wine truly begin to be revealed, we are only just seeing the tip of the iceberg of what Argentina is capable of with this variety. What makes the picture even more compelling is that 92% of the Cabernet Franc produced in Argentina is bottled as a single varietal wine rather than used as a blending component, meaning producers are putting it front and centre rather than treating it as an accessory variety. While Argentine Cabernet Franc is unlikely to ever rival Malbec in terms of global volume and popularity, we will almost certainly be seeing considerably more of it on shop shelves and wine lists in the years and decades ahead.
The Uco Valley and the Paraje Altamira GI
The Polígonos Paraje Altamira comes from parcels in the Uco Valley, and more specifically within the Paraje Altamira GI. The Uco Valley is the most important region for Cabernet Franc in Argentina, with approximately 944 hectares planted, representing around 47% of Argentina’s total plantings and about 60% of the Cabernet Franc in Mendoza. It has also accounted for the majority of new Cabernet Franc plantings in Mendoza since 2015.
Paraje Altamira is located in San Carlos, the southernmost of the Uco Valley’s three sub-regions. The GI was officially established in 2013, though its viticultural history stretches back over a century. In Argentina’s modern wine story, Paraje Altamira was one of the first sub-regions to appear on premium wine labels in the early 2000s and is today widely regarded as one of the country’s great grand crus. What makes it particularly distinctive is that it was the first GI in Argentina to be defined by terroir rather than political boundaries, with altitude and soil as the primary criteria.
The region sits in the westernmost part of San Carlos at the highest elevations in the sub-region, ranging from around 1,000 to 1,200m above sea level. That altitude brings a wide diurnal range, with cold nights offsetting warm days and slowing the ripening process. The soils sit on the first section of a large alluvial cone deposited by the Tunuyán River, formed from eroded Andean materials carried downstream between 2.5 million and 12,000 years ago. Because of Paraje Altamira’s position at the apex of that cone, the materials deposited here were carried when the river was moving at its greatest velocity following glacial melt, resulting in a subsoil of very large granite stones coated in a thick layer of calcium carbonate, a feature widely credited with contributing to the freshness and elegance of the region’s wines.
The Vineyard
The Polígonos Paraje Altamira is sourced from approximately 5.2 hectares across three parcels, two of which are part of Zuccardi’s estate vineyards. The first is at their Finca Piedra Infinita, with vines planted in 2009 by massale selection on their own roots. The second is at Finca Los Membrillos, about 1,500m to the east, planted in 2014 with Clone 214. Both parcels are relatively flat, sitting at altitudes of 1,081m and 1,060m above sea level respectively.
The soils are sandy to sandy-loam in texture, with topsoil depths ranging from 20 to 200cm, with the Cabernet Franc block at Piedra Infinita running a touch deeper before meeting the large calcium carbonate-coated granite stones of the subsoil beneath. Shoot thinning is practiced to manage yields and canopy balance, but no leaf removal or green harvesting is required in the Cabernet Franc blocks. Drip irrigation is installed, as is standard across most of Argentina’s vineyards.
Martín Di Stefano notes that because of the stony, calcareous nature of the soils in Paraje Altamira, yields and vigour in the Cabernet Franc blocks tend to be considerably lower than at their other sites, and as a result the fruit ripens faster, with harvest typically running about a week ahead of Gualtallary and two to three weeks ahead of San Pablo.
In the Cellar
The fruit is hand-harvested and 100% destemmed. Fermentation takes place in concrete with indigenous yeast at temperatures between 25 and 28C. Total skin contact is approximately 20 days, with a combination of remontage and pigeage during the first six days followed by a gentle wetting of the cap with buckets for the remainder of the maceration. Only free-run wine is used in the finished cuvée, which is then aged in 25hl oak foudres for approximately 12 months.
In the Glass
Spice leads on the nose, with fruit playing a supporting role rather than taking centre stage. That fruit is ripe but fresh (strawberry compote, rhubarb, morello cherry, black raspberry) with a sunny, pure quality that doesn’t show any characteristic signs of overripeness. The spice signature is bold and distinctive: black pepper foremost, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon stick. This black pepper note is emerging as a signature of Argentinian Cabernet Franc based on my tastings. Cabernet Franc’s varietal character is present, but plays a balancing supporting role with notes of bay leaf, nettle, oregano oil.
The palate shifts the balance nicely, with black raspberry pushing forward while earthy and herbal notes are more pronounced with mint, eucalyptus, potting soil providing a compelling counterpoint to the fruit-forward nose. And this is further complemented by spicy notes of white pepper, clove, Hungarian paprika. Acidity is lively, cleansing, and mouth-watering, working beautifully with the fruit. Tannins are pronounced, velvety and enveloping with an almost creamy texture. There is higher volume of tannins than what we might typically see in Cabernet Franc, which I believe has more to do with the effects of high-altitude viticulture where thicker skins and higher skin-to-juice ratios concentrate polyphenols, as opposed to winemaking techniques and decisions. Medium-plus body, round and broad through the mid-palate, with fleshy, pure fruits and balancing herbal and spice undertones. Serious and contemplative, this is a wine of real presence and purpose, layered complexity, and unmistakable Cabernet Franc character.
Wine Details
Producer: Zuccardi
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Sub-Region: Uco Valley (San Carlos)
Appellation: Paraje Altamira GI
Vineyards: Finca Piedra Infinita, Finca Los Membrillos
Soil: Sandy-silt loam topsoil (20-200cm), subsoil of large granite stones with calcium carbonate coating
Alcohol: 14.0%