Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clásico 2023

For all its body and strength, this is a style of Mendoza Malbec that has a freshness and juiciness giving it very approachable drinkability. The fruit is clear and bright, with supple tannins and a clean, lively finish. It’s very much the Altos Las Hormigas house style – organic, unoaked and made for effortless enjoyment, with the power sitting in the background.

Fruit-forward and unoaked, this isn’t a Malbec that needs a slab of steak to make sense. It’s makes a good match things like for grilled chicken, herby pork, roasted vegetables or mushroom dishes.

Altos Las Hormigas was set up in 1995 by two Italians, winemaker Alberto Antonini and entrepreneur Antonio Morescalchi, who saw in Mendoza’s high-altitude vineyards the chance to do something new with Malbec. Their venture starting in Luján de Cuyo has since evolved into one of Argentina’s leading terroir-driven estates. It's farming organically with biodynamic practices and they favour concrete and neutral vessels over new oak to keep the wines bright and textural, with a clear sense of place. Since 2020, winemaker Federico Gambetta has helped push that approach even further, bringing experience from top Argentine and international cellars and overseeing a run of highly rated vintages that underline the estate’s shift from “big Mendoza Malbec” to detailed, vineyard-led wines.