Winemaker Notes
After six years of organic farming, Altos las Hormigas Bonarda vineyard is finding its balance. The natural environment and interaction with other species (grass, herbs, etc.), the come-back of life in the soil and the evidence of deeper roots all contribute to a very balanced wine. Notes of crunchy red fruits, fresh summer cherry tomatoes and a very distinctive note of licorice, make this a one of-a-kind red wine that combines pleasure with freshness and intensity, in a very special way for a Bonarda.
Ideal to pair with pasta Pomodoro dishes, pizza and light meats.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Roasted plums, olives, charcuterie and peppercorns on the nose. Lemon zest, too. Medium-bodied with creamy tannins and a lovely soft texture. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the finest and purest expressions of the grape at a very affordable price point is the 2021 Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda, which was certified organic in 2017. Ninety percent of the grapes are from their estate in Luján de Cuyo and the rest from Jardín Altamira in Valle de Uco. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in raw concrete. It has 13.3% alcohol, a medium-bodied palate and a juicy texture. They are convinced about the organic approach in the vineyard, as they have seen improvements in the wines, but the certification causes a lot of problems and bureaucracy. It's a fine expression of the variety with a fruit-driven personality, a little peppery, a juicy texture and faint rusticity. 2021 was a cool year, and the wine shows it. They think of this as their Beaujolais, the wine for the trattoria (they are mostly Italian!), for the table, where industrial wine should not dominate; therefore, they offer this at a very competitive price. It's an immediate red.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.