Cara Sur Criolla Chica 2021

“pair with cold Spring weather ”

Sebastian Zuccardi is one of the most busy and prolific people in the world of South American wine. He runs Santa Julia, a very large producer, as well as his family’s winery Zuccardi, which is no small thing either. To top this off, he’s been involved in several special and compelling side projects. This wine, called Cara Sur, is one of those side projects. I tasted it with Sebastian when I was in Argentina, and told myself I gotta find a way to show it to people when I get back to the US.

The Criolla Chica grape is something very unique, a grape that really only grows in South America and a few other spots around the world. It’s a product of missionaries and immigrants, and you can trace its path through Spain to the Canary Islands (Listán Prieto), Argentina, and Chile, where it goes by the name of País. So this is not the only Listán Prieto/País/Criolla wine in this release. 

Cara Sur means “south face,” as in a mountainous ascent, and this winery’s focus is on the foothills of the Andes mountains in Mendoza. Specifically this vineyard is the subregion of the Valle de Uco, which is even more remote and higher in elevation than the rest of the Mendoza region. Cara Sur is Sebastian, but it’s also Marcela and their friends Nuria and Pancho who are mountaineers who live at the foot of the Andes. They also own the winery building, where they make these cuvées in a low-tech, natural way. 

This wine emanates shades of ruby and ochre, shining in the glass. Its aromas of dried oregano, fresh cherry and rhubarb invite you in for a sip. This is an easy-drinking wine that hits with surprising structure and a pleasant bitterness on the finish. Pair with cold spring weather or lighter meats and cheeses.