Colonia Las Libres Organic Bonarda

Friends and business partners Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi have come a long way since they were impressed by Mendozas vineyards on their first visit in 1995. They have gone from being youthful interlopers to one of the countrys 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 natural 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 countrys top producers of this variety.

Bonarda,

The certified organic grapes are sourced from high-trellised vineyards in Luján de Cuyo, which sit at 800 metres above sea level, lending the wine its fruit-forward character. This area sees hot days and cool nights which aids in developing intensely aromatic fruit. The soils here are described as 'fresh' as they are mostly comprised of fine, silty-sand, and only 10% stone, and as a result have excellent water drainage. These soils also allow for deep root development which assists the vines in resisting the heatwaves which are common in Mendoza.

The wine was vinified in 200 hectolitre stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 23°C for 15 days, with daily rack and return to achieve a gentle extraction of the delicate berry aromas. The wine was aged in concrete tanks and received no oak treatment in order to preserve freshness and represent a pure expression of the Bonarda grape. After bottling, the wine was aged for three months prior to release.

Deep ruby in colour, this wine is full of spicy aromas with notes of pink pepper, olives, and eucalyptus complemented by fig and plum aromas. The palate has a rich mouthfeel accompanied by textured tannins and an integrated acidity with a delicate spiced finish.

Delicious paired with grilled meats.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on the Red Wines of the America's Blog

Our next country in focus is Argentina, but this is not a Malbec! This wine is made with 100% Bonarda…well it isn't technically Bonarda, but the Argentinian's call it by that name. The official Bonarda variety is an obscure and incredibly rare Northern Italian grape called “Barnarda Piedmontese” which I have never actually seen. The Bonarda planted in Argentina is in fact a grape from Savoie called "Douce Noire” or "Corbeau de Savoie". You won't see much of this coming from France though as they now only have around 1% of the world's plantings, 90% of Douce Noire is grown in Argentina where they do call it Bonarda. So, is it now technically the actual Bonarda?

So, originating in the mountains of Savoie in the French alps, the grape has migrated to the lofty reaches of the Andes mountains where it has found its new home. Here in Argentina, Bonarda is the second most planted grape after the more internationally renowned Malbec, most Bonarda planted in Argentina is destined for fruity, medium bodied table wines for domestic consumption and never leaves the shores of Argentina. There are a few gems such as this one that make it out of the country. All of us in the shop, (other than the glorious leader himself), have a soft spot for this wine and recommend it regularly as it is outrageously delicious for its modest price tag.

In 2025 we hosted Alberto Antonini from this winery, Altos Las Hormigas for a “terroir of Malbec” focused tasting night where we examined the effects of different climates and regions on Malbec. One point Alberto said that evening that has stuck in my mind, “If you are not farming organically or biodynamically in Mendoza, you are doing it wrong. The climate is perfect, it is almost harder to not farm organically.”

Why is Mendoza so easy to farm then? Mendoza is one of the highest altitude vineyards in the world, reaching up to 1500m above sea level. This creates the all-important diurnal swing in temperatures, drawing out the growing season that allows grapes to reach their full phenolic ripeness while retaining their all-important acidity to keep the wines balanced. The Andean peaks, running up the Eastern edge of Mendoza create a rain shadow, with almost zero cloud cover the grapes can absorb all the suns energy. Mendoza is an arid a semi desert landscape so vineyard pests such insects and fungus are not an issue. Because of the mountains, water is not a problem either in this arid region. A historical practice, which some farms still use, is to flood their land every spring with the melt water that cascades down from the Andes. The more common and environmentally sound method is to capture this melt water in reservoirs and to use drip irrigation only when needed.

In this perfect environment, Altos Los Hormigas was set up by Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi with the help and guidance of Pedro Parra, widely regarded as the South American expert on soil and vineyard mapping. Here they take a biodynamic approach in the vineyard, as well as minimal intervention in the winery – including the use of natural yeasts, and a move from oak to aging in concrete setting a new trend in Mendoza for more elegant, fruit and terroir focused wines not swamped by oak. This Bonarda is a medley of spices with notes of pink pepper, olives, and eucalyptus complemented by fig and plum on the palate. Great for BBQ pork or lamb, or just a simple pizza night in. You can spend a lot more on Bonarda than this, don't. I haven't tried one that beats it!