2022 Finca Las Cerrilladas Malbec

The confluence of this parcel's austere nature and the burly profile endowed by the vintage makes the 2022 Finca Las Cerrilladas one of the more wound-up and overtly structural wines in the Finca range. A deep well of inky black fruits, tar, incense and mineral aromas is lifted by the region's resinous and botanical signature, followed by an intensely muscular, deeply concentrated mouthfeel that is among the fullest-bodied wines in the Zuccardi portfolio. The finish continues this sheer power with a raw, brawny conclusion dominated by chewy tannins, yet despite this structure, the wine's overall energy skews toward the buoyancy and lift that track through the top-of-the-range bottlings from Zuccardi. More than any other wine in the Finca portfolio, it will demand patience, but I do not doubt that it will reward it.

The 2022 Malbec Finca Las Cerrilladas from Gualtallary is austere and intense in fruit, with a field-like character. Aromatically restrained, it emphasizes calcareous soil, structure and mouthfeel. Compact and juicy, this channels the distinctive energy of chalk-rich soils. It delivers midpalate depth and a long, softly mountain herbal finish.

Blue fruit, sage and underbrush combine with wild aromatics and stony austerity you can get lost in. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with finely delineated fruit and a sense of tension, supported by fine-grained tannins that lead to a focused, precise finish with a savory, saline edge. This comes from a finca planted at 1,360 meters on rocky, sandy, limestone-rich soil in Gualtallary. Drink now or hold.