Altos Las Hormigas Terroir LUJAN DE CUYO Malbec

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 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 country’s top producers of this variety.

Malbec,

The grapes for this wine are sourced from two certified organic vineyard plots in Luján de Cuyo, in Mendoza. The vines are planted at high density meaning the roots have to grow deep into the soil to find nutrients. This is a key factor in obtaining high quality grapes with a natural freshness, particularly in a warm climate. The soil in these vineyards features large quantities of limestone, which is an essential characteristic of the vineyard. The 2022 growing season was shorter than others, but no less intense. The season was marked by intense heatwaves, which caused some uneven maturation in the vineyard. However, careful vineyard management allowed for winemakers to obtain optimal alcohol and acidity levels despite the heatwaves, preserving the fruit character and the skin tension of the berries. The season also saw heavy rains, which threatened to delay harvest. Luckily, the rains stopped just in time, allowing for a perfect window to harvest at optimum ripeness and health. The rain also benefited the fruit, as it lowered temperatures to allow for the grapes to regain balance after the intense heat. Overall, the 2022 vintage developed fruit with great concentration, colour, and delightful spicy notes.

The grapes were hand-picked early to preserve the freshness of the fruit. The grapes were gravity-fed into small concrete tanks for pressing and alcoholic fermentation. The juice was fermented using indigenous yeasts at 26°C for 15 days. Low temperatures during fermentation were key to obtaining fresh red fruit notes in the wine. Following fermentation, 75% of the wine was aged in concrete pools while the remaining 25% was aged in untoasted large oak foudres. The wine was then bottled and aged for another 6 months in the cellar prior to release.

This wine is ruby red in colour with violet hues. The nose is full of fresh red cherries, raspberries, and red plum, plus hints of pink pepper and cinnamon. On the palate, the wine has a silky texture, balanced acidity, and a savoury long finish.