Altos Las Hormigas Uco Valley Malbec Reserve 2022
This wine is an intense deep red with violet hues. The nose shows great finesse with notes of fresh plums, white roses, warm spices, and fresh herbal notes. The palate has a vibrant acidity with fruity flavours and a firm minerality.
The grapes are hand-picked from several different calcareous sites within the Uco Valley. The majority of the grapes are sourced from the high altitude and alluvial zone of Gualtallary, where terraces boast medium and large gravel, covered with calcium carbonate paste. The remainder of the grapes are sourced from vineyards planted near the Tunuyán River in Paraje Altamira, where limestone covers alluvial deposits.
The grapes were hand harvested and each bunch was carefully selected to ensure only the best fruit was used. During fermentation, gentle pigeage was undertaken in order to avoid over extraction. The juice was fermented at 26°C using indigenous yeasts which granted freshness and vibrancy. The wine was then aged for 18 months with 75% in 3500 litre untoasted French oak fourdres and 25% in concrete pools. After this, it was aged for a further 12 months in bottle prior to release.
| RRP | £37.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Mendoza |
| Subregion | Valle de Uco |
| Grapes | Malbec 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 2.1 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
Friends and business partners Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi first visited Mendoza in 1995 and were instantly impressed by the vineyards they discovered. Nearly three decades later, the estate they founded, Altos Las Hormigas, has gone from being a youthful dream to one of the country’s leading producers.
Alberto and Antonio work very closely with Pedro Parra (widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on soil and vineyard mapping) to identify the best vineyard sites to grow their grapes. As a result, they have discovered outstanding sites across Mendoza and aim to show the distinct character of each through their wines. From Luján de Cuyo they obtain fine tannins, concentration and a dark purple colour, whereas the calcareous, high-elevation sites of Vistaflores, Altamira and Gualtallary each bring distinctive perfumes and mouth-filling textures.
In 2020, Federico Gambetta was appointed winemaker and by 2021, he was producing 100-point wines, propelling this highly respected winery into a new era. A combination of biodynamic farming, minimal intervention in the winery, as well as Alberto and Antonio’s relentless experimentation and desire to produce Argentina's best wines, has given Altos its reputation as one of the country’s leading Malbec specialists.
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