Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes
Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza

harvest

The season began with a dry and cool spring, which favored good fruit set in the vineyard. The summer was characterized by moderate temperatures and large amounts of rainfall in February and March, the months in which the harvest takes place. Towards the end of the harvest, rainfall decreased and temperatures did not have major peaks; they remained moderate and stable, maintaining the turgor of the berry and avoiding over-ripe descriptors. These conditions led to wines with great freshness and aromatic expression, high color intensities, fine tannins and great structure.

vineyard

The grapes come from a small plot of just over 1 hectare, in the southern sector of our Jardín Altamira vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira (Uco Valley), at 1,200 meters above sea level. This sector is very special due to the heterogeneity of the soil profiles, created by the river currents that formed the alluvial fan. On the plot, the soil profile has 80 centimeters (32 inches) of topsoil rich in silt with dissolved limestone and, from there, large granite rocks with associated limestone. The entire vineyard is organic, with sustainable management and a special focus on biodiversity. Having Alan York as our mentor, we truly believe that here the grapes are not the product of a plant, but of an ecosystem.

Winemaking

The grapes coming from this polygon were harvested at an ideal maturity point for our vineyard, allowing the natural acidity to take centre stage. Vinified for 25 days in concrete vats, with no epoxy. It fermented with 15% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. The temperature was kept at 26°C (79°F) throughout the entire process, with the aim of maintaining the purity of the aromas from the vineyard. Then, it was aged in untoasted 3,500-liter French oak foudres for 15 months. It was very softly filtrated before bottling, where a second aging of 12 months took place in the bottle.

Tasting notes

Our “Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes” was produced with organic grapes from plot number 15 in our Jardín Altamira vineyard. It shows a lively red colour, subtly pellucid, with violet hints. A very aromatic wine, with plenty of fruit notes: black fruits, fresh figs and plums, raspberries and cherries; mineral notes: wet concrete, gunpowder and graphite; and floral notes: rain jasmine, chamomile flowers. On the first sip, it shows very good freshness and balance. It is an expressive wine that has lots of layers, personality and texture. It is ethereal, with grip from the chalky tannins. The finish is long and fruity, showing the purity of a place where rocks and native flora are present trough different aromas and flavours.

technical data

Variety: 100% Malbec
Stopper: DIAM Cork
Volume: 750ml
Alcohol: 13.9%
Acidity
Total: 5.3 g/l
PH: 3.69
Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/l
Technical Team: Alberto Antonini, Pedro Parra, Federico Gambetta, Ana Wiederhold, Victoria Maselli.

awards

100 pts Tim Atkin, MW
98 pts Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
98 pts James Suckling
98 pts Decanter

Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes
Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Mendoza

harvest

This was a shorter harvest than others, but no less intense. The season was marked by strong heatwaves, a year in which the physiological maturity was slightly delayed with respect to the organoleptic. Our work in the vineyard allowed us to obtain the desired alcohol and acidity just before the heat waves, preserving the fruit character and the tension of the skin of the berries. The season also had heavy rains, which threatened to delay the harvest. However, the rains stopped and gave us a window, just in time, to harvest our fruit with optimum ripeness and health. The cold of the last few weeks before harvest gave the grapes the necessary time to finish ripening and balance all their compounds. 2022 was a year with great concentrations, colors, and health, in which fruity and spicy notes prevailed.

vineyard

The grapes come from a small plot of just over 1 hectare (n. 15), in the southern sector of our Jardín de Hormigas vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira (Uco Valley), at 1,200 meters above sea level. This sector stands out amid the diversity created by the alluvial fans. On the plot, the soil profile has 80 centimeters (32 inches) of topsoil rich in silt with dissolved limestone and, from there, large granite rocks with associated limestone. The entire vineyard is organic, with sustainable management and a special focus on biodiversity. Having Alan York as our mentor, we truly believe that here the grapes are not the product of a plant, but of an ecosystem.

Winemaking

The grapes coming from this plot were harvested at an ideal maturity point for our vineyard, allowing the natural acidity to take centre stage. Vinified for 25 days in concrete vats, with no epoxy. It fermented with 15% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. The temperature was kept at 24°C (75°F) throughout the entire process, with the aim of maintaining the purity of the aromas from the vineyard. Then, it was aged in untoasted 3,500-liter French oak foudres for 12 months. It was very softly filtrated before bottling, where a second aging of 12 months takes place in the bottle.

Tasting notes

In this second vintage of our wine “Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes”, we are amazed at how much such a small piece of land can teach us. Made entirely from organic grapes harvested in the “Los Amantes” plot in our Jardín de Hormigas vineyard, this is a Malbec that transcends the grape variety to become a faithful expression of this exceptional plot. It has a translucent purplish red color with bright ruby hues. On the nose, it opens up gradually, showing a great aromatic complexity with several layers. It offers notes of gunpowder, graphite, underbrush, fresh cherries, menthol, blackcurrant, truffle, pine sap, jarilla, white pepper, lemon balm, all accompanied by a balsamic note and an overall earthy, chalky sensation on the nose. The palate unfolds like a fan, with a fine, vertical entry that widens as it moves across the mouth. It is an ethereal wine that advances in crescendo, ample, crisp, juicy, and with great grip. The overall mouthfeel is marked by minerality, as well as a balanced, backbone acidity and fine-grained tannins. It has a fruity, balsamic, and persistent finish that reveals the purity of its place of origin.

technical data

Vintage: 2022 | Variety: 100% Malbec | Closure: DIAM Cork | Bottle Capacity: 750ml | Alcohol: 13.5% | Total Acidity: 6.0 g/l | PH: 3.7 | Residual Sugar: 1.8 g/l | Technical Team: Alberto Antonini, Pedro Parra, Federico Gambetta, Victoria Maselli.

awards

98 pts Tim Atkin, MW
19/20 pts Jancis Robinson

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