Zuccardi Aluvional Los Chacayes 2016

The Aluvional range is now something more specific than the village: Los Chacayes is from the southern part, where the stones are not on the surface; Altamira is from the newer part in the south of Paraje Altamira, a stonier part that couldn’t be cultivated without drip irrigation; and Gualtallary is from the part around the monastery. They might start using some of those mentions on the labels, but not for now, so the label for now says 2016 Aluvional Los Chacayes, even if the subzone or the lieu-dit in the south is not specified. The wines have a lot of herbs, and the ripeness is contained. It’s not as ripe as in Gualtallary; it’s floral, with the telltale violets. The wine has structure and a stony sensation, a bit more rustic than the places with more limestone. Drink date: 2019-2030. Score – 95. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, Oct. 31, 2019)