Location: Home > food > Dessert Wine Notes: Santa Julia Tardia 2004 Late Harvest Torront¨¦s
Dessert Wine Notes: Santa Julia Tardia 2004 Late Harvest Torront¨¦sPosted Dec 13th 2006 6:07PM by Jonathan M. ForesterFiled under: Wine, South America, Lush Life, Raves & Reviews, Liquor CabinetSanta Julia Tardia 2004 is a late harvest wine grown in Mendoza, Argentina by Familia Zuccardi. It is a light 8.5%abv / 9 proof for a dessert wine and comes in a 500 ml. bottle. The color is a very pale yellow green with a proportionally light body, at the lightest level for dessert wines. The aroma is that of apples and faint hint of pineapple. The taste is tart with moderate sweetness, composed of faint pineapple, apple, and lemon / orange zest, with no appreciable alcohol taste. This is the type of dessert wine for when you want something light and not too sweet, halfway between a dessert wine and a Riesling or Gewurztraminer.The grapes used for the Santa Julia 2004 Tardio are 85% Torrontes and 15% Viognier and late harvested for the additional sweetness. It is estate grown and bottled by Familia Zuccardi from their Maipú vineyards in Mendoza.Chile has been known for the wines it has been exporting for awhile now, but Argentina is starting to play catch up. Argentina is the fifth largest wine producing country in the world, but it is known for consuming most of the wine it makes. Expect that to change as the make more and better wines over the next decade and as it becomes more profitable to export wines. One of the best of the Argentine wine makers is Mendoza's Jose Alberto Zuccardi of Familia Zuccardi, leading the pack in improving quality and showing an example to their fellow wine makers. Expect to see Argentine Malbec and Tempranillo showing up as well as this Torrontes, the well liked Argentine semi-dry white wine, similar to Gewurztraminer. The Zuccardi Famila exports 60 percent of its total production to over 30 countries. It is one of the leaders in forcing lower yields, as well as using organic farming, experimental grape plantings, and modern wine making techniques to increase quality. Familia Zuccardi is one of Argentina's oldest family-owned wineries, since Jose's father, Don Alberto Zuccardi planted vines in 1963 and was the first to use an irrigation system specifically for his vineyards. He has said, "Wine is a part of our culture you learn to drink wine when you're 5 and 6 (watered down and in small amounts.) It makes you feel like you are an adult, it is the only alcoholic beverage you learn to drink from your father and mother, and you learn how to control consumption. Argentina is the only country where wine is as important to the local culture as it is in Italy and Spain." Argentina is heavily populated with immigrants from Italy and Spain, so his comments are pretty solid. The quality of Zuccardi's Santa Julia and Zuccardi Q lines are very good, and the prices as well. Zuccardi's Santa Julia wines are $8-$14 and the premium Zuccardi wines run $18-$25 with production at 800,000 cases.
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