The title of this post, rather, should have read “outstanding Tempranillo in the Americas.” Turns out Familia Zuccardi of Argentina have been cultivating this emblematic Spanish variety in Mendoza for quite a while. Even then, we shouldn’t overlook the grape’s trajectory farther back—being one of the Spanish crown’s original Río de la Plata colonies, scores of 17th and 18th century settlers in the Andean Cuyo region wanted to replicate their wines from back home. In other words, unlike some of the other oddball varieties being cultivated under Familia Zuccardi’s “new varieties program,” Tempranillo cultivation in the general Mendoza area has a profound socio-historical basis tied to criollo settlement. The question shouldn’t elude us, however—have Argentine Tempranillo wines been anything to write home about?
It wasn’t until the early nineties that Familia Zuccardi managed to become the first Argentine producer to export wines made from this variety. Although demand for fruit-forward Malbec cuvées and Cabernet have always outpaced that of Tempranillo wines’, Zuccardi did something quite praiseworthy—not allow foreign demand to solely dictate their wine styles and choice of projects. Case in point, I’ve happily recommended reviews of their Torrontés and other red wines, however, their Tempranillo went on to hold its own against similarly priced Rioja wines at UK-based blind tastings.
It is no surprise though, that I have always looked toward Zuccardi for innovation in Argentina—the kind that doesn’t involve foreign tasting panels, glossy-rag journalists and marketing gurus. Zuccardi has proven itself unorthodox and highly idiosyncratic concerning many aspects of its operations. Their “new varieties program” consists of expanding their already exciting selection of rare varieties through vine nurseries; some of the exciting prospects include finding sophisticated Andean expressions of Barbera, Marsanne, Aglianico, Tannat and Mourvèdre, among other favorites of mine. In addition to this, they are obsessed with the importance of utilizing yeasts indigenous to their vineyards, rather than the standard strains. Other exciting offerings I would love to get my hands on would be their Malbec-based fortified wine and Torrontés-based dessert wine.
Don’t get me wrong. While I consider myself a bit more obsessed about rarer varieties than most, I have reverence and much appreciation for the way in which Tempranillo shows its pedigree in good examples of Valdepeñas, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and several other styles. Given this, it takes quite a bit for me to take the plunge and gush about a New World interpretation that does the variety any justice. Why do I appreciate Zuccardi? Because they haven’t simply produced an above-par Argentine Tempranillo, but because they have produced Tempranillo wines in Mendoza with an unmistakable personality of their own. While I recognized the variety’s general characteristics when tasting Zuccardi’s, I simply could not accuse Zuccardi of copying the style of any particular Spanish region’s Tempranillo expression, although I honestly tried.
Even if the variety came along with Spanish settlers centuries ago, it wasn’t until recently that Tempranillo in Mendoza achieved its very own stylistic idiosyncrasy. I especially recommend trying the Zuccardi Q Tempranillo to those who enjoy the prestige Spanish regions’ Tempranillo-based wines, particularly if making comparisons to similarly priced $15-$20 range Rioja.
Visual/Aromatic Profile: Deep ruby and garnet in the glass. I would decant this one to let the gorgeous nose unfold for a nice couple of hours at least. It features very pronounced dark cherry, blackberry, currant and sweet orange peel. The oak is not an overbearing presence, with aromas of toast, vanilla, chocolate and soft leather.
Texture and Finish: Knockout balance and complexity. The wine was matured in medium toasted American oak barrels (new), and never clarified in any way. The style is dry, with medium acidity and high tannin structure holding up the full body. Flavors are nicely concentrated, with dark cherry, blackberry, toast, chocolate and smoky leather. Some of these more robust elements power on through to the lengthy finish, with dark chocolate, toast and soft leather.
The title of this post, rather, should have read “outstanding Tempranillo in the 
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3 comments:
Hello Francisco
I am interested in the history of Tempranillo in the new world. In, Enotheque, ‘Tempranillo in the Americas’, dated 31 March, 2008 your comments on that variety in Argentina caught my attention.
Particularly the statement, “Even then, we shouldn’t overlook the grape’s trajectory farther back—being one of the Spanish crown’s original Río de la Plata colonies, scores of 17th and 18th century settlers in the Andean Cuyo region wanted to replicate their wines from back home.” suggests there are publications that document the varietals introduction to Argentina. And you go on to say, "Tempranillo cultivation in the general Mendoza area has a profound socio-historical basis tied to criollo settlement.”
Later, you mention that it was only in the early nineties, and I take that to mean the 1990s, that Familia Zuccardi managed to become the first Argentine producer to export Tempranillo wines.
My questions are (1) can you steer me to a good source of information on the early history of Tempranillo in the Americas, and (2) Why was there such a long interval between introduction of the vine into Argentina and exportation of varietal labeled wine?
Earl
Earl, I want to thank you for your comments and questions. Because I have found them so interesting, I'd like to address them in my next post. There is quite a bit to what you ask, and I thought it appropriate to offer some possible clues that would satisfy your questions. Let me know what you think.
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