Wine Advisor
Achaval Ferrer, Finca Altamira Malbec 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
2014 started as a normal growing season, but in February it started raining, so the character of many wines is fresh, less powerful and more elegant. These characteristics are clearly reflected in the 2014 Malbec Finca Altamira, which in any case is always the most floral and exuberant of the single-vineyard bottlings. What matters here is the origin, the soils and vines, rather than the process, which is kept more or less the same for all of the wines. It has a spectacular acid structure, not as creamy as other years, more vertical. Truly outstanding. 16,000 bottles were produced in 2014.
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.
