Altos Las Hormigas Jardin De Hormigas ‘Meteora’ Malbec

Friends and business partners Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi have come a long way since they were impressed by Mendozas vineyards on their first visit in 1995. They have gone from being youthful interlopers to one of the countrys leading producers, as well as being pioneers of a more elegant style of Malbec.

Alberto and Antonio work very closely with Pedro Parra (widely regarded as the South American expert on soil and vineyard mapping) in order to identify the best locations to grow their grapes. Digging and probing each corner of Mendoza, they have discovered outstanding sites and aim to reveal their distinct characters through their wines. From Lujn de Cuyo they obtain fine tannins, concentration and a dark purple colour, whereas the calcareous, high-altitude sites of Vistaflores, Altamira and Gualtallary each bring distinctive perfumes and mouth-filling textures.

A biodynamic approach in the vineyard, as well as minimal intervention in the winery including natural yeasts, a move from oak to concrete for the Malbec Clsico as well as the use of large, neutral oak for ageing the single vineyard wines are practices dictated by Altos Las Hormigas philosophy to ensure the wine stays true to its place of origin. Their combined wealth of experience as a winemaking team, as well as their never-ending experimentation and desire to produce the best wines that Argentina can offer, has made Altos Las Hormigas a Malbec specialist, with a reputation as one of the countrys top producers of this variety.

Vineyards

Grapes were sourced from four different plots in the Jardn Altamira vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. This vineyard is planted at 1,200 metres above sea level, and has a diverse range of soil profiles, created by river currents. The top soil is rich in silt with dissolved limestone, and underneath there are large, granite rocks. The entire vineyard is certified organic, with an extra focus on sustainable management and biodiversity.

Vinification

The growing season began with a fresh and dry spring, resulting in good fruit set in the vines. During summer, temperatures were moderate, and during picking between February and March, there were several bouts of rain. By the end of the season, the rain eased and temperatures were warm and stable, avoiding over-ripeness in the grapes. These conditions produced very fresh, highly aromatic wines with intense colour, elegant tannins and great structure.

This wine was vinified for 20 days in concrete tanks, and then fermented with 15% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. The temperature was kept at 25 degrees throughout the entire process, in order to maintain the purity of fruit aromas. It was then aged in concrete for 12 months.

Tasting Notes

`Meteora` is an object from the sky, that falls on earth unexpectedly. This wine was born out of the idea of creating a more simple style from the complex Jardn Altamira vineyard. Howvever when tasting the wine, the team at Altos Las Hormigas realised they had instead produced a Malbec that is complex, diverse and unique. Clear ruby red colour, with notes of gunpowder and graphite on the nose initially. On the palate it is tense, with textured, balanced tannins. Flavours of cherry, violet and chamomile as well as herbaceous notes lead to a long, concentrated finish.