Description
The 2022 Chardonnay Fosil hails from Zuccardi’s San Pablo Vineyard in the Uco Valley. It was aged in 75% concrete vats, with the remainder going into used French oak barrels. In the glass, it’s yellow with a greenish sheen. The complex aromas range from green apple peel to chamomile, lime, and mountain herbs such as huacatay, with a pastry backdrop adding further depth. On the palate, it’s lean and dry with a chalky texture and refreshingly tart acidity. The vibrant character is a showcase for the terroir with its austere, herbal notes. Better to keep it for another couple of years to let it truly come into its own.
- Country: Argentina
- Region: Cuyo
- Appellation: Mendoza
- Sub Appellation: Santa Rosa
- Size: 750ml
- Color: White
- Alcohol by Vol: 13.0%
Varietal
Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
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