Americas
The North American wine producing reputation can largely be attributed to the global fame and success of Napa Valley and Sonoma County in the United States. Although technically ‘new world’, its wines have the same devoted fan base (and often first-growth prices) as many classic European wines. Free from the shackles of European winemaking law, one can find a variety of cooler climate Cabs, Merlots, Pinots, Chardonnays and Rieslings that will entice all wine lovers.
South America is an exciting new melting pot of styles and flavours with a range of soils types and altitudes – taking international varietals and finishing with French winemaking techniques, or in the case of Argentinian Malbec, adopting a largely unloved grape and making it their own.
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Americas
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Wine Advocate (100)
I was blown away by the 2016 Finca Piedra Infinita, a wine I have been anticipating because I’ve seen the progression of the wine over the last few years. They use almost 40 different components to make this wine from small plots within the vineyard, especially the soils they call "supercalcáreo" (super limestone). The other type of soil they use is what they call "gravas calcáreas" (limestone gravels), and they don’t use any of the grapes from the deeper soils that go into the Q range. The wine has reached a stratospheric level of precision, symmetry and elegance in 2016 that is really captivating. Everything seems to be in its place; there is great harmony, the aromatics are clean and pure and the texture is like liquid chalk. There is power and elegance, energy and finesse. This is a really outstanding wine that summarizes the hard work at Zuccardi in the last few years. Bravo! 6,400 bottles were filled in February 2017.د.إ1,270.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
They use some specific soils for the 2017 Finca Piedra Infinita, up to eight different plots, but not all plots contribute to the wine every vintage; in general, the zones with 20 to 60 centimeters of soil and then large stones with calcium carbonate are reflected in the wines. So, they deconstruct the vineyard, and then they build the blend with the plots they like for each wine, up to eight here but only a specific one for the Supercal and Gravascal. There's a little more ripeness and exuberance here within the general austerity of the whole Piedra Infinita range, especially when compared with the 2018s. They harvested 15 to 20 days earlier than in 2018 (or in 2016) and they had to run, but the separation they have by soil helped them to harvest earlier the earlier-ripening parts of the vineyard. That gave them a great advantage and they produced very good 2017s, but the condition of the year, a shorter cycle and a more hurried year was what it was. This 2017 is not as long as the 2018, and there is a strong chalkiness in the finish. 7,300 bottles were filled in August 2018.د.إ1,360.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Aromas of crushed fruit with mushrooms, dried flowers, ash, charcoal, iodine and bark, following through to a full-bodied palate with superb depth of fruit and layers of polished, fine tannins. Extremely long and seamless. A beauty by all accounts. Complex. Juicy. Supple. Better after 2023, when it will give you all it has stored up in goodness, character and uniqueness.د.إ1,280.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
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.د.إ1,470.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2017 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal is produced with fruit from a very balanced plot with some 50 centimeters of soil before reaching the stones and limestone. This half-hectare plot had very low yields, so they had to harvest it very early. The plants here are very balanced, and the wine produced has a marked herbal sensation, always combined with the stoniness. There is less difference between the 2017 and 2018 here than in the other Finca Piedra Infinita wines. This is precise, fresh and harmonious, with very fine chalky tannins and a combination of fruit, spice and minerality that make it really attractive. 1,500 bottles were filled in August 2018.د.إ3,950.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2018 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal has notes reminiscent of some wines from the Northern Rhône, a combination of orange peel, blood and iron, denoting freshness and minerality, with a chalky sensation and a finish that is a mixture of juiciness, stoniness, saltiness and texture. It comes from a 0.51-hectare plot in the Piedra Infinita. The wine fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete until bottling. I think they have fine-tuned these single-plot wines tremendously since the initial and almost experimental 2015; in this 2018 wine, I found lots of similarities with the Finca Piedra Infinita bottling—it really excels. It finishes with a sapid and salty sensation and marked chalkiness. Finesse, elegance, simply superb! 1,100 bottles were filled in August 2019.د.إ2,725.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (100)
Red Wine of the Year - Argentina 2022 Special Report If you’d told me I’d be selling an Argentinian wine at this price when I started, I would have laughed at you,” says Sebastián Zuccardi, but this remarkable red is worth every peso and more. Reflecting the hard work and talent of two complementary generations of Zuccardis, Gravascal is as brilliant as it is daring. Entirely concrete-fermented and aged, it’s hauntingly complex stuff, with tangerine and dark berry fruit, thrilling minerality and precision, filigree tannins and a finish that lasts for over a minute. Truly world class, this is one of the two greatest young Argentinian wines I’ve ever tasted.د.إ2,175.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Another special site within a site, like Supercal, the 2020 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal is highly aromatic in the native vegetation of jumilla, wild cinnamon, and herb. With more richness and oomph on the palate than the Supercal, it has a depth of blue fruit that contrasts against sanguine, feral notions of iron and wild game. Still, it's ultimately a savory wine, spiced in white pepper and garrigue, with length, breadth, and composure for days, or years in this case. It should age beautifully 20-25 years.د.إ2,285.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
There is a strong iron note in the 2018 Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal, a Malbec from a small plot within Piedra Infinita, usually the first plot to be harvested within Piedra Infinita. It's an extreme plot, very shallow and with pure stone and a strong character. They found this plot in search for "cal," pure limestone, so they want a strong sensation of chalk in the wine here. This is austere, and I think it's more precise than in previous vintages. Only 1,000 bottles were filled in August 2019.د.إ1,790.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
I'm splitting hairs here, because the level is so high in the Malbecs from the Piedra Infinita vineyard that it's difficult to say, but the coup de coeur is the 2019 Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal, the single-plot bottling from the shallower soils with lots of rocks covered in calcium carbonate (hence the name: "superlime"). In a cooler year like 2019, this wine achieved a level of precision, austerity, elegance and balance that is amazing. The wine floats in the mouth, with an ethereal quality but with the clout and power from the place. The wine is juicy and fresh with a saline twist in the finish. This is approachable now because of its gobsmacking balance and elegance, but it has all the components and the balance between them to age for a long time in bottle. Bravo! 1,400 bottles were filled in June 2020. They told me that it's always a challenge to decide the picking date for this plot, and they feel they hit the bull's eye in 2019. And rightly so.د.إ2,450.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
From the high-altitude vineyard site in Paraje Altamira, the 2020 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal is from a specially selected site within the vineyard that has consistently shown distinct characteristics that warrant its own bottling. Hugely structured, it oozes salinity, iron, blood, dried herb, and stone, while maintaining underlying freshness. It's all structure and intensity. A fantastic achievement in Malbec and this specific sense of place. Age 25-30 years.د.إ1,935.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
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. 4,300 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2019.د.إ957.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Undergoing no malolactic fermentation, the gorgeous 2023 Chardonnay Fosil is fermented and aged in concrete. The acidity is wow-level, integrated into the whole with seamless ease, fresh and persistent. Light on its feet, it shows a deep conviction of place and minerality, its savory earthiness complemented by notes of green apple and pear. Zuccardi made his first version of this in 2016 at a time when Chardonnay in Argentina was overly oaky and underwent full malolactic fermentation. He soon fell in love with using concrete to ferment and age his whites grown at high altitude. Delightfully complex, structured, and textured, this is a beautiful representation of cool-climate, high-elevation grape growing and winemaking, with flecks of stone, flint, and lemon pith. Layered in waves of flavor, the acidity keeps it fresh and lively throughout a palate of undulating flavor and deliciousness. Drink now through 2033.د.إ1,115.00
