Why Argentina’s Zuccardi Keeps Making ‘Perfect’ 100-Point Wines

This story is from an installment of The Oeno Files, our weekly insider newsletter to the world of fine wine. Sign up here.

Argentina’s Zuccardi family is in the midst of one of the wine world’s greatest hot streaks. The eponymous winery, now run by the founder’s grandson, has earned 100 points for its single-vineyard Malbec in six of the last seven vintages. With nine perfect scores across three distinct bottlings from its Finca Piedra Infinita vineyard, Zuccardi has redefined what’s possible in South American viticulture. After taking over from his father in 2009, winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi produced the first vintage of Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec in 2012. It hit it off with the critics immediately, earning a 96 with the first release, scores between 95 and 98 for the next three vintages, its first 100-point score with the 2016 vintage, and multiple perfect ratings for every vintage from 2018 through 2023.

Spanish for “infinite stones,” Piedra Infinita takes its name from huge rocks that were left in the area when rivers and glaciers created the Uco Valley 50 million years ago. “We removed more than 1,000 truckloads of stones when planting the vineyard,” Zuccardi tells Robb Report. Rare volcanic granite soils covered with a thin layer of calcium carbonate in this high-altitude desert in the foothills of the Andes offer a unique site for the cultivation of Malbec. Over the past 15 years, Zuccardi has divided the 94-acre vineyard into 46 distinct parcels, so in addition to his Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec he offers two “paraje”-specific bottlings, Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal and Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal, from plots that are 2.3 acres and 1.8 acres in size, which have earned the bulk of the perfect scores. “These are small pieces of land where we vinify and bottle just that specific fragment of soil,” Zuccardi says.

Within the 46 distinct plots there is a wide variety of soil types, so grapes from each plot are vinified separately and then blended into the final Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec. That said, Zuccardi does not highlight the varietal name on the front label, because he sees “the grape as a vehicle of expression” that showcases the beauty of the terroir. “We believe that Malbec is to the Valle de Uco what Pinot Noir is to Burgundy, Sangiovese is to Montalcino, or Nebbiolo is to Barolo. It is the best vehicle for expressing our places,” he says.

Although the term “Argentine Malbec” may bring a well-oaked version to mind, Zuccardi vinifies and ages his wine in concrete, which he explains “contributes no aroma or flavor” and also “allows for less micro-oxygenation.” He adds, “Concrete is a natural material—sand, stone, and water that ultimately come from the Andes.” PJ Alexander, sommelier at the Somerset Club in Boston, finds vinification in concrete to be an important talking point when discussing these wines with members, offering an opportunity to mention the “purity of the grapes.” And although he is not one to lean on high scores when suggesting wine to diners, he believes so many perfect scores from a variety of critics show “a universal admiration for Zuccardi.”

Wine collectors such as Andrew Bopes of Wilmington, N.C., are also impressed with Zuccardi’s commitment to terroir and less-is-more vinification techniques. With around 30 bottles from Finca Piedra Infinita spanning four vintages among his collection, Bopes was first attracted to Zuccardi’s winemaking style, which he points out “allows the wines to speak for themselves, without over-manipulation.” He also appreciates the commitment to terroir, “particularly the thoughtfulness behind where they plant, based on the specific geology of each site. That level of precision and restraint shows clearly in the glass.” Adam Waddell, wine director at Eleven Madison Park and Clemente Bar in New York City, also mentions precision when discussing Infinita Piedra. “These are not broad, plush Malbecs built on volume and luscious fruit,” he tells Robb Report. “Gravascal and Supercal both have this striking mineral tension that feels carved rather than crafted.”

Waddell echoes Zuccardi’s thoughts on the specificity of the site as well: “It’s Mendoza through a Burgundian lens of site transparency.” He describes it to diners as “a high-altitude, terroir-driven Malbec that prioritizes structure and mineral clarity over overt ripeness. I explain that it’s less about lush fruit and more about texture—fine tannins, linear acidity, and a long, chalky finish. It’s powerful, but in a tailored way.” And while Malbec is often thought of as the ultimate steak wine, the sommeliers we spoke with view a completely different set of food pairings. Waddell suggests serving it with glazed duck breast because “the gentle sweetness of the glaze is kept in precise balance by the mineral tension and firm backbone.” He also recommends grilled maitake mushrooms. “The wine’s earthy, graphite-driven profile mirrors the mushroom’s natural umami, while the char from the grill highlights its stony, mineral edge.”

Jhonel Faelnar, beverage director at Na:eun Hospitality, which operates Korean eateries Atoboy, Naro, and Michelin two-star Atomix in Manhattan, looks beyond grilled meat when pouring Infinita Piedra. “I would pair these Malbecs with lighter fare such as mushroom salad with endive and cherry tomatoes,” he says. “The wines are light and lithe, and very much gastronomic wines meant to be enjoyed with complex dishes, not necessarily just seared meat-based dishes that Malbec is often pigeonholed to cater to.”

See Also

The 50 Best Steakhouses in North America 2025: 101 Steak Restaurants

While the 2022 and 2023 Finca Piedra Infinita Malbecs have already been scored by critics, the current available vintage of Gravascal and Supercal is 2021, which both scored 100 points and are on the list at Eleven Madison Park. “These wines challenge most people’s expectations of Argentine Malbec. They are not about opulence; they are about precision and longevity,” Waddell tells Robb Report. “They reward patience, both in the glass and in the cellar. With air, they unfurl. With time, they deepen. Most importantly, they feel honest.” Zuccardi never set out to make a perfect 100-point wine but rather one that offered a true articulation of the land from which it is born. “We have never worked with recognition in mind. We have always focused instead on what the place shows us, what it expresses, and how we translate that into a bottle,” he says. With so many critics, collectors, and sommeliers in agreement about the quality of the Malbec from Finca Piedra Infinita, it’s clear that nothing has been lost in translation.

Do you want access to rare and outstanding reds from Napa Valley? Join the Robb Report 672 Wine Club today.