Zuccardi Cabernet Franc Uco Valley Q 2018

92 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "[$20 list] The 2018 Q Cabernet Franc is a new varietal in the Q range, produced with grapes from Altamira and San Pablo. It fermented destemmed in concrete, always with indigenous yeasts, and matured in concrete and foudre. It has a powerful varietal nose with herbal and spicy aromas, but it's also perfumed and somewhat floral, pure, clean and focused. It has a medium-bodied palate, and the wines have integrated alcohol, never very high but with the natural ripeness of the year and place, in this case 13.8%, and very fine tannins that provide for great texture. Drink: 2019-2023. (Oct 2019)"

90 points Stephen Tanzer (Vinous): "[$20 list] Healthy ruby-red. Aromas of boysenberry, blackberry, licorice and roasted pepper are lifted by a fragrant violet quality. Sappy and refined on the palate; ripe but not at all stewy, with sexy notes of flowers and dried herbs providing definition and lift to the dark fruit flavors. Cooler and less chocolatey than the 2018 Q Malbec, with its pliancy and sweetness enlivened by a minty quality. This suave wine finishes with a smooth dusting of tannins. Part of this fruit comes from the same San Pablo vineyard as the Fósil Chardonnay, planted at 1,400 meters, which Sebastián Zuccardi describes as the same altitude as Gualtallary but much closer to the foot of the mountains, and therefore cooler and wetter and harvested later. Drink: 2019-2023. (Sep 2019)"

90 points Wine & Spirits: "[$20 list] Grown in the higher altitudes of the Uco Valley, this delivers cabernet franc’s peppery flavors in a plush texture. The tannins have a pleasant wooly feel, warm and enveloping, with enough texture to stand up to roasted stuffed eggplant. (Oct 2020)"