2020 Zuccardi Concreto Malbec Paraje Altamira Mendoza 750 ml

Sebastián Zuccardi is one of the shooting stars of Argentine wine. His vision for the future of his country’s wine industry is crystal-clear and ambitious—and nothing embodies this better than his Concreto Malbec.

What sets Concreto apart is Zuccardi’s approach: He takes fruit grown in some of his stoniest soils then ferments and ages it entirely in concrete. It’s a pure look at the heights the grape can attain in the country’s top vineyards—and a bold declaration that the best terroirs in Argentina can achieve greatness with next to no embellishment.

We’ve offered this wine in past vintages and it garnered glowing member-reviews, but the 2020 might be the most concretely realized edition yet of Zuccardi’s vision. A boldly aromatic bottling packed with dark fruit and girded with enough structure to allow it to age for close to a decade, it boasts a 95-point score from Decanter as well as accolades from other major publications—a rare critical consensus for an Argentinian wine like this. 

We’ve held this Malbec up as one of the most compelling examples of grape ever since we visited the estate. That day, Sebastián encouraged us to “try a stone” when we asked what he credits for the special texture of his wines. We did, touching our tongue to the proffered rock, and the chalkiness we tasted is indeed evoked in the polished minerality of his finished Concreto. 

Sebastián then smiled and said, “Why would I want to cover all that magic with oak?”