Wine Advisor
Achaval Ferrer, Finca Altamira Malbec 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jay S Miller
The glories of Achaval-Ferrer are the limited production single-vineyard Malbecs. Your best chance of tracking down a bottle of a single-vineyard Achaval-Ferrer is the 650 case production of Finca Altamira. The 2004 Finca Altamira comes from 80+ year old vines and received the same oak aging treatment as its two peers. It is opaque purple/black in color with aromas of creosote, scorched earth, wood smoke, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. Belying its modest 13.9% alcohol, the wine is dense and remarkably rich with flavors of mineral, chocolate, and assorted black fruits emerging on the palate. The wine is splendidly balanced with beautifully integrated oak, tannin, and acidity. It will easily evolve for 10+ years and drink well through 2035. Although Achaval-Ferrer’s wines have virtually no track record, I am confident that they will evolve in the manner of a First Growth Bordeaux. Founded only in 1998, Achaval-Ferrer is already established as one of Argentina’s benchmark wineries. They specialize in single vineyard Malbecs from prime Mendoza sites. Finca Altamira is located in La Consulta in the Uco Valley, 60 miles to the south of Mendoza at 3400 feet elevation and contains 10 acres of densely planted old-vine Malbec. Finca Bella Vista is located in the Pedriel district of Lujan de Cuyo, 15 miles to the south of the city of Mendoza at 3100 feet of elevation, with 18 acres of Malbec planted in 1910 as well as a bit of Merlot and Syrah. Finca Mirador is located in Medrano, 34 miles to the southeast of the city of Mendoza at 2400 feet above sea level, with 12 acres of densely planted Malbec vines averaging 40+ years of age. The winery uses predominantly French oak and bottles without fining or filtration. The winemaker is Roberto Cipresso. Importer: TGIC Wine Importers, Woodland Hills, CA; www.achaval-ferrer.com
About the Producer
Achaval Ferrer is an Argentinian wine producer based in the Uco Valley, of the famous high-altitude wine region of Mendoza. The estate is known for its high-quality wines made predominantly from Malbec, usually with the addition of other classic Bordeaux varieties. Achaval Ferrer uses a low intervention approach in both their vineyards and winery. The vines are low performing with deep roots, resulting in extremely low yields. In the winery there is almost no temperature control during the fermentation – nor is there any clarification fining or filtering of the wines before they are bottled. There are three ranges in the Achaval Ferrer portfolio; the Mendoza, the Fincas and the Quimera. The Mendoza is a range of varietal wines from the Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. The Fincas are single-vineyard expressions from the three vineyards that the company owns. The Quimera is the pinnacle from Achaval Ferrer and is a Malbec-dominant, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend, with the proportions changing dependent on vintage. Recently the company has added a sweet fortified wine to their collection as well as an olive oil. Following the establishment in 1998, the company purchased a rare, north-facing vineyard with the majority of the vineyards in Mendoza on slopes facing either east or south. This vineyard became the source for the first wine in Argentina to be awarded five stars from Decanter Magazine and was a fundamental turning point in the estate's history. Today, Finca Bella Vista and Finca Mirador and Finca Altamira form a trio of single vineyards owned by the company with similar north-facing aspects. These are utilized to produce the Fincas range.
