2021 Finca Piedra Infinita

Full bottle a very naughty 1,736 g! But from 2023/24 they have their own very much lighter bottle, so full bottles will be around 1,250 g. From the vineyard created (lots of rocks moved and used to build the winery) by Sebastián Z at 1,100 m. Very cool nights in Altamira. Very varied soils in the middle of the alluvial fan. 38 ha divided into 46 parcels. Needed lots of different capacities of concrete vats. This is a blend of wine from their most interesting parcels. Pre-phylloxera plant material, 80% whole bunch (cf in Gualtallary <30% and in San Pablo 0%) and all made in concrete. Just 12–14 day maceration. Ferment at up to 30 °C. Sebastián Z not a big fan of infusion; thinks it makes wines that are too confected.  Very deep blackish garnet. Rich, sumptuous nose. Peppery finish – really quite like a very ripe northern Rhône. Soft tannic entry and then the tannins insist on the end. Long again. Very good freshness. (JR)

Originating from a selection of parcels planted in alluvial, sandy, granite soils with calcareous content, the 2021 Finca Piedra Infinita was vinified in concrete with whole clusters and aged for 12 months. It opens with a commanding, complex and ceaselessly evolving nose initially dominated by dusty, savory, spice-driven aromas, then blossoming with the classic purple flower notes characteristic of Paraje Altamira. The palate perfectly balances a seductive, sumptuous texture with remarkable richness and discernible finesse, culminating in a quietly explosive, long, intensely vibrant finish. This wine showed exceptional dynamism in the glass, constantly melding luscious black fruits, refined minerality and immaculately polished tannins in a punchy yet weightless, all-encompassing and captivating package. It is a simply magnificent example of contemporary Argentine Malbec.

Textured and powerful, but not overpowering, the 2021 Malbec Finca Piedra Infinita is lovely in its balance of savory mountain sage and dusty tannin. Fermentation and aging took place entirely in concrete vessels and tanks, with 15 months of aging. Layered and complex, it's an age-worthy, collectible-level wine, with 15-20 years more to evolve, grown at 3,609-feet elevation in shallow alluvial soils with large granite, calcareous-covered stones. A multi-generational winery and restaurant in the Valle de Uco under the guidance of winemaker Sebastian Zuccardi, these are mountain wines with a sense of place, expressive of the terroir of specific vineyards, parcels, soils, and altitude. In 2016, the winery was built after dividing vineyards by soil type, and it’s made entirely of concrete inside and out, with concrete vessels also used for fermentation and aging. Its highest-level wines are the Parcel Wines, made to show the uniqueness of a particular parcel of land within an estate vineyard.