Q Cabernet Franc
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled lamb chops, roasted duck, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1963 by Alberto Zuccardi in Mendoza, Argentina, Familia Zuccardi has risen to become one of the world's most visionary wine estates, currently led by third-generation winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi. Based in the high-altitude terroir of the Uco Valley, the family's state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery, Finca Piedra Infinita in Paraje Altamira, is constructed entirely from local alluvial stone and concrete. Their production philosophy centers on expressing the pure, mineral-driven identity of calcareous soils, utilizing concrete vessels and minimal oak aging to craft terroir-specific masterpieces. Renowned for world-class expressions like the single-vineyard Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec, the Aluvional series, and the elegant Emma Zuccardi Bonarda, the estate represents the pinnacle of modern Argentine viticulture. The historic estate is located at Calle Costa Canal Uco s/n, M5567 San Carlos, Mendoza, Argentina, and can be found online at https://www.zuccardivalledeuco.com.