Familia Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Saturated medium ruby. Inviting nose combines aromas of cassis, black cherry, tobacco leaf, black olive, licorice and dried herbs. A lovely dusty, fine-grained Cabernet with serious herbal complexity that does not detract from its dark fruits. This rich wine finishes with noteworthy length. (La Consulta gives the flesh, while Gualtallary provides the backbone, notes Sebastián Zuccardi.) Like the Q Malbec and Cabernet Franc, this wine should gain in complexity with another year in the bottle. (all of these reds are fermented in concrete; this one was aged in 225- and 500-liter barrels)

There are developed varietal aromas in the 2018 Q Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no sweetness, and there is good structure, purity and a tight core. Nevertheless, it was produced with fruit from Gualtallary and La Consulta, and in this cooler vintage, the texture shows some hints of the telltale minerality of the limestone-rich soils. 93,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2019.

A tarry note accents the dark fruit and blackberry flavors, with hints of freshly ground pepper. Black licorice details emerge on the snappy finish. Drink now through 2023. 15,000 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.