Every once in a while we have to smile when some seriously committed winery bottles something special and gives it a names that sounds like the ‘cease and desist’ order is just a matter of time. It’s likely that very few in the great big world have experienced the sensational talents of the Michelini brothers through their various wine projects. Zorzal wines have proven to be a revelation both in demonstrating the exciting ‘next wave’ of South American wines and providing surprising value.
We have had great response to their almost laughably inexpensive Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Rosé, and what the brothers can do when they pull out all of the stops as they have with their Superuco Malbecs. Here they are doing serious work with what may ultimately prove to be the real ‘great grape’ of Argentina…Cabernet Franc. With all due respect to Malbec, we have had some surprising experiences with Argentine Francs, though admittedly there haven’t been a ton of examples. The best Francs have the richness to play with the big kids, but often achieve a certain elegance that Malbec rarely does.
We’d love to talk about how the brothers discovered some ancient and forgotten cache of Cabernet Franc vines but, in fact, this vineyard in Gualtallary, a subregion of the Uco Vally (at over 4200 feet elevation) was only planted in 2007. The secret, if there is one other than the usual low-yields/hand harvesting mantra you here with so many great producers, is the vessel.
The current weapon of choice for this project, as well as a growing number of winemakers all over the world, is the concrete egg. The grapes are harvested and fermented with their gross lees, which they stay in contact with for 3-5 months, in the concrete egg. We aren’t going to get into the biodynamics or voodoo as to why the ‘egg’ works. But it does seem to. Concrete somehow causes the reds to be plusher and more integrated, to the point where, in this case, there is no oak used at all.
The 2015 Zorzal Wines Eggo Franco is remarkably complex and layered. Harmonious texture, lots of stuff going on (earth, fresh tobacco, spice, mineral, and meat) in this mouthful of dark red and black fruits. Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez gives this one a 93 and suggests ‘Eggo’ shows very much the wild character of Gualtallary. It’s a lot of wine for the money and it both engages and challenges.
We hope the ‘powers that be’ leave the lads to their ‘eggo’ fun. This is another creative, dynamic effort from the Michelinis and ‘new’ Argentina and no one is going to confuse this with a breakfast choice anyway.