Familia Zuccardi Chardonnay Botanico 2021 750ml

The new white 2021 Botánico comes from their two vineyards in the Monasterio part of Gualtallary, the informal division of the zone (still not approved due to bureaucratic problems with the name), and is a lieu-dit or paraje wine. This is very austere, sharp and mineral, reminiscent of a Chablis. This was harvested very early, almost one month earlier than the Fósil from San Pablo, as Gualtallary ripens earlier. It fermented and matured 70% in concrete eggs and 30% in used 500-liter oak barrels; but there is no aromatic or flavor influence from the oak, as they want to keep the wine as transparent as possible with the character from the soils—limestone and caliche calcareous stone. This has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.23 and 7.36 grams of acidity. It's clean, precise, subtle, elegant, transparent, balanced and symmetric ,with purity and clarity. It has a shaper palate with effervescent sensation of chalk with lemon juice, with lots of energy. This should develop nicely in bottle. I'd like to have a time machine to see what this does at age 15... 5,000 bottles were filled in December 2021. I had the chance to taste the still unbottled 2022, and it felt every bit as good as this.

The 2021 Chardonnay Botánico from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was 50% aged in concrete, 50% in old 500-liter barrels. A light golden yellow in hue. The nose presents apple and creamed corn with hints of herbs and subtle woody notes. In the mouth, it starts out broad before the flow is tightened up by the precise freshness, which also enhances the flavor. Long-lasting with a fruity finish, this is very much a high-altitude Chardonnay.

Botánico is a white wine of the landscape. It comes from our vineyards in Gualtallary Monasterio, Valle de Uco, at an altitude of 1,360 meters. The scenic beauty of the hills is complemented by the typical grasslands and flora of the area such as jarilla herbs, thyme, and broom shrubs. Together they give way to the vineyards that try to capture the richness of these calcareous soils and the entire biosphere, achieving something unique, unrepeatable, which is expressed through this Chardonnay. Botánico is a wine from Paraje. A combination of soil, climate and the typical vegetation of a place that make it something unique.