Zuccardi Concreto 2015

The second vintage of this unoaked, groundbreaking Malbec, the 2015 Concreto Malbec was produced with grapes from Paraje Altamira that fermented in cement vats with indigenous yeasts (a constant in Zuccardi nowadays) and matured in concrete vats--hence the name--until it was bottled in December 2015. Here they use grapes that only come from parts of their vineyards that have less than 20 centimeters of soil and the calcium carbonate content is the highest they have, as they want this to be pure expression of chalk. The nose is a little reticent, not explosive, a little backward, transmitting a sense of seriousness and harmony. But, the palate is electric, you really feel like you're licking the limestone-covered stones that you have in the vineyards. The nose comes back slowly after time in the glass, with a cocktail of flowers and wild herbs, what you smell when you walk the countryside, especially after it has rained. This is a noteworthy follow up to the groundbreaking first vintage of this wine, possibly with one extra degree of precision and clarity, ending with a dry, dusty sensation, avoiding sweetness at all cost. This is all texture and salinity. Maybe not for all, but I loved it. 20,000 bottles were produced.