Altos Las Hormigas Mendoza Malbec
NOTE : You need a mix of any 6 bottles to checkout - we ship in multiples of 6 bottles with a 6 bottle minimum.
Tasting Notes
This Malbec is an intense ruby-red in colour with violet hues. The expressive nose displays characteristic notes of red fruits, plum, and raspberry, with hints of orange rind and jarilla – a native Mendoza plant. This wine is all about freshness - the palate is supple and juicy, with soft but structured tannins and a long finish.
Producer
Friends and business partners Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi have come a long way since they were impressed by Mendoza’s vineyards on their first visit in 1995. They have gone from being youthful interlopers to one of the country’s leading producers, as well as being pioneers of a more elegant style of Malbec.
Alberto and Antonio work very closely with Pedro Parra (widely regarded as the South American expert on soil and vineyard mapping) in order to identify the best locations to grow their grapes. Digging and probing each corner of Mendoza, they have discovered outstanding sites and aim to reveal their distinct characters through their wines. From Luján de Cuyo they obtain fine tannins, concentration and a dark purple colour, whereas the calcareous, high-altitude sites of Vistaflores, Altamira and Gualtallary each bring distinctive perfumes and mouth-filling textures.
A biodynamic approach in the vineyard, as well as minimal intervention in the winery – including indigenous yeasts, a move from oak to concrete for the Malbec Clásico as well as the use of large, neutral oak for ageing the single vineyard wines – are practices dictated by Altos Las Hormigas’ philosophy to ensure the wine stays true to its place of origin. Their combined wealth of experience as a winemaking team, as well as their never-ending experimentation and desire to produce the best wines that Argentina can offer, has made Altos Las Hormigas a Malbec specialist, with a reputation as one of the country’s top producers of this variety.
Vineyards
The fruit for the Clásico is sourced from vineyards in Luján de Cuyo (70%) and the Uco Valley (30%). The region has a semi-desert climate with hot days and cool nights, which allows the grapes to ripen beautifully while still retaining good levels of acidity. The soils have a fine silt-sandy texture that provide good drainage and encourage deep root development, assisting the vines in coping with the intense summer heat in Mendoza.