ALH APPELLATION PARAJE ALTAMIRA
Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. Mendoza.
The season began with a fresh and dry spring that favored good fruit set in the vines. During summer, temperatures were moderate, and in February and March – the months in which we pick up the grapes – we had bouts of rain. By the end of the season, rains lowered and temperatures were not very high; these last days were warm and stable, keeping the grapes turgid and avoiding over-ripeness. These conditions produced very fresh, highly aromatic wines, with intense colors, elegant tannins, and a great structure. Overall an excellent vintage for Altos Las Hormigas.
100% organic Malbec grapes coming from two special plots of our Jardin de Hormigas vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira (Uco Valley), at 1,200 meters above sea level. One of them has soils with 0.8 m. of silt with dissolved limestone, and then granite with carbonate layers. The other has 10 cm. of silt and clay, and then a lot of gravel with associated calcium carbonate. This vineyard, managed with a regenerative agriculture concept, has limestone-covered pebbles and gravels that occupy 85% of the soil volume, giving the wine its elegance and minerality.
The grapes from each plot are elaborated in a differentiated, tailor-made manner. They go through a double selection process and are released by gravity into small concrete containers, with no epoxy. The alcoholic fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts at 26°C for 25 days. Minimal extraction, semi-reductive fermentation. In order to maintain a careful, gentle handling, pumping is not used; the cap is rotated by manual pigeage three times a day throughout the fermentation. The wine is aged for 15 months, 50% in 3,500 liter untoasted Foudres and 50% in concrete containers. Aging in the bottle for a minimum of 12 months..
This Paraje Altamira Malbec was made entirely with grapes from our Jardin de Hormigas vineyard. There, soils filled with large stones covered with calcium carbonate support vines that coexist with native flora and fauna in an ecosystem that fosters biodiversity. This vineyard is 100% certified organic. The 2021 is the second vintage coming entirely from this vineyard.
It shows a bright red color, pure and very lively, as the wine is. The nose is complex, with notes of blue fruits, blueberries, cassis, and some cherry. As the wine unfolds, notes of jarilla, wet stone, violets, orange peel and white pepper appear. On the palate, the entry plays a leading role. The vineyard’s limestone soils are present in the wine as an electric mouthfeel. The sensation is, at the same time, reductive – like gunpowder – resulting in a Malbec with lots of grip, power and strength. It has great texture and supple tannins. The finish is long, persistent, with marked notes of fruit, lime and herbs.
