Altos Las Hormigas Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec 2014
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Winemaker Notes
Elegant is the best way to describe this wine. Like a ballet dancer, full of strength and muscle – but linear, graceful and delicate. Deep ruby with hints of purple, with a captivating nose of freshly picked fruit, crisp plums, and fields of wild flowers. This Malbec dances on your palate, with round, silky, elegant tannins. The finish is long and complex, drawing you in for the next sip.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There are two separate wines from appellations in the Uco Valley, one of them the 2014 Malbec Appellation Altamira that comes from one appellation that has been officially named Paraje Altamira. This is a delicate Malbec from a low-yielding vintage, with up to 30% less grapes than the average, due to frost. The vines are located at 1,200 meters altitude on stony and chalky soils and the grapes fermented in small cement vats with indigenous yeasts, with punching down of the cap but without any pumping over. The wine matured in untoasted 3,500-liter French oak foudres for 18 months and was kept in bottle for one year before being released. Even if the foudres are the same as those used for the Gualtallary, the oak feels more present here. There are some spicy aromas over a core of red fruit, and notions of wet stones. There is more volume here than in the Gualtallary, and the tannins are more present, it fills your mouth and leaves an earthy sensation. Great price for the quality it delivers.
Other Vintages
2019-
Wine
Enthusiast - Vinous
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling
In 1995 Alberto Antonini, a well-known Tuscan winemaker, and Antonio Morescalchi, a young entrepreneur, took a trip to visit the burgeoning wine areas of South America. It only took one stop to find what they were looking for. They were immediately impressed by the vineyards thriving in the high altitude and dry climate of Mendoza, and were captivated by the whispered traditions and blend of cultures.
They returned to Tuscany powerfully impressed not only by the region, but also by the unexplored potential of Malbec, a grape that had a strong local tradition but was largely ignored and misunderstood. While the rest of the wine world saw Mendoza struggling to shed its bulk wine image, the two young Italians saw Mendoza as a place where traditional viticultural values and unblemished land could be reinvigorated with a modern winemaking approach and international experience. Instead of planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as many others were doing during the 1990s, the team decided to invest their confidence in Malbec. Today, Malbec is the varietal for which Argentina is best known.
Against all odds they cemented their vision to become Terroir Specialists Shortly after, two friends and business partners, also enthused by the idea, joined the venture: Attilio Pagli, a renowned Tuscan winemaker with two 100 point-scoring wines in his personal record and Carlos Vazquez, an Argentine Agronomist, who work for 20 years with the early Catena group, planting new varieties, developing previously unknown vineyard sites and contributing greatly to the qualitative change of Argentine viticulture early on.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.