Q Cabernet Franc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, roasted duck, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
The 'Q' on the label of Familia Zuccardi's range stands for 'Quality'—a designation that originated from the practice of marking the very best vineyard parcels and barrels with a 'Q' to earmark them for this reserve bottling. For the Q Cabernet Franc, the grapes are sourced from selected high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley, specifically from Paraje Altamira and San Pablo, where cold nights and intense sunlight yield grapes with exceptional concentration and acidity. The wine is crafted using concrete vessels for fermentation with native yeasts, followed by aging in a combination of concrete and used French oak barrels. This minimal-intervention approach highlights the classic varietal characteristics of Cabernet Franc—such as black currant, red bell pepper, and graphite—while preserving the distinct chalky, mineral texture imparted by the region's calcium carbonate-rich soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Familia Zuccardi was founded in 1963 by engineer Alberto 'Tito' Zuccardi, who planted experimental vines in Mendoza to demonstrate an innovative irrigation system. Under the stewardship of his son José Alberto and grandson Sebastián Zuccardi, the estate transformed into a vanguard of modern Argentine viticulture, shifting the focus decisively toward the high-altitude, cool-climate micro-terroirs of the Uco Valley. At elevations ranging from 1,000 to over 1,400 meters—most notably in Paraje Altamira, San Pablo, and Gualtallary—the estate farms on alluvial soils richly encrusted with calcium carbonate and marine limestone deposits. Farming avoids synthetic agrochemicals and embraces organic practices. Vinification prioritizes transparency and place, favoring spontaneous native-yeast fermentations in unlined concrete amphorae and minimal oak intervention. Renowned for parcel-specific Malbecs like Finca Piedra Infinita alongside taut, mineral white expressions such as Botanico Chardonnay and Polígonos Semillón, Zuccardi crafts wines marked by chiseled acidity, chalky tannins, and pristine Andean tension.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Franc
🍷 ABV
14-14.5%