zuccardi emma bonarda 2018

WINEMAKER NOTES:
It was a warm vintage. These conditions guaranteed the exceptional health of all varieties. The wine shows great color and freshness, characteristics of this season, thanks to the harvest of each plot at its optimum moment.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM:
95 points - Tim Atkin
"There were, briefly, two Emma bottlings in 2013, but the Zuccardis subsequently combined their best Bonarda parcels in Paraje Altamira and San Pablo to produce a single wine. Entirely unwooded, this is the best release yet: smooth, textured and refined, with savoury plum and red berry fruit and layered tannins. 2021-28."

93 points - Wine Advocate
"There is a lot of finesse in the 2018 Emma Zuccardi Bonarda, produced with grapes from Valle de Uco: 50% from San Pablo and 50% from Altamira. It fermented and matured in concrete, avoiding oak to preserve the purity. Bonarda is very sensitive to oak and seems to work better in concrete. It has some herbal aromas (is it the cooler climate of San Pablo?), with even a citrus twist. Bonarda doesn't have a lot of tannin, so they use some stems to give it a little more structure. This is among the most elegant Bonardas I have tasted. 10,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February 2019. Drink: 2019-2023. (Oct 2019)"

92 points - Vinous
"A Bonarda from the Uco Valley, half from Paraje Altamira and half from San Pablo, fermented with native yeast in concrete eggs. Purplish red in hue. The nose delivers intense raspberry aromas and hints of cherry and balsamic touches that open it up even more. In the mouth, energetic, chalky tannins, flavor and freshness do nothing to obstruct the flow. An accomplished wine. Drink: 2020-2026."

750ml Bottle