Zuccardi Finca Los Membrillos 2018

The difference between the 2018 Finca Los Membrillos and the 2017 I tasted next to it was notable. In the cooler 2018, the wine showed a lot more restraint and less ripeness. It's a single-vineyard bottling of pure Cabernet Sauvignon that reveals spicy and peppery notes; it's balsamic and minty without excess. The palate is medium-bodied and the tannins are fine, textbook of the variety. There's more complexity, balance and finesse here than in the 2017. Cabernet Sauvignon is super sensitive to the conditions of the year; this is grainier, more textured, fresher and more elegant. 3,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2017.

In 2010, Sebastián Zuccardi bought a vineyard he was convinced would produce a Cabernet Sauvignon to rival some of his best Malbecs. Planted in the stony soils of an old riverbed, its vines deliver excellent quality fruit. Fermented in concrete, the wine is aged for 14 months in used barrels. The nose features herbs and balsamic notes initially before red and black berries come out in the glass while in the mouth it flows well with a medium body, good tension and a velvety texture.