Zorzal 'Terroir Unico', Gualtallary Cabernet Franc presents a deep red colour with a violet youthful core. The bouquet features remarkable purity and complexity, revealing layered spice notes of black pepper and white pepper, along with red pepper flavours. The palate demonstrates impressive structure, developing excellent breadth across the mid-palate. Fine-grained tannins provide elegant texture, whilst vibrant acidity delivers freshness and juiciness throughout. The wine concludes with a notably long finish, marked by subtle saline minerality that speaks to its origin. A sophisticated, age-worthy wine of considerable depth.

About the Producer

Zorzal is an Argentinian boutique winery which has been dedicated to the production of high quality wines since 2008 and is located at the highest point of the Uco Valley. Hailed as one of the most exclusive and well-regarded areas for viticulture in Argentina, the terroir is revealed in the Zorzal wines through a respectful, non invasive winemaking process that puts austerity before exuberance and fruit before wood. The wines have rapidly gained international recognition. Founded by the Michelini brothers, who are outstanding in their passionate leadership in the vineyards and winery, this highly regarded winemaking duo have become renowned as the trendsetters of the Argentinian winemaking scene.

Vineyard and Winery

The grapes for the ‘Terroir Unico’ wines are harvested from different areas of the vineyards, aiming to blend the diversity of the terroir in every bottle. These are straightforward, honest and precise wines, showcasing the mineral typicity inherent to the various soil types of Gualtallary. The grapes are grown in a high-altitude vineyard in Gualtallary, the outstanding vine-growing area of the Uco Valley. Located at 1,350 metres above sealevel, Gualtallary is the highest vine-growing zone in the Province of Mendoza, situated at the foot of the Tupungato Volcano. This site is characterised by its combination of altitude, a high content of calcium carbonate in the soil, sunny days and low rainfall. The diurnal temperature ranges here oscillate between 35°C and 17°C, creating long, slow  ripening periods, encouraging excellent polyphenolic maturity in the grapes, while retaining refreshing balance. The vines are trained on trellises which provides good homogeneity, and the grapes are hand-harvested in boxes of 16kg.

The grapes were fermented in concrete tanks with 15% vinified as whole clusters. Spontaneous fermentation took place with native yeast. Fermentation temperatures ranged between 22 and 25° C, followed by maceration on the skins to impart colour, flavour and texture to the wine lasting for 20 days. The wine was aged in concrete tanks for four months.