Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico 2018

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

Aside from their vineyard and winery in Luján de Cuyo, they 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 the Uco Valley they obtain a striking floral fragrance on the nose and a dark purple colour, whereas the calcareous sites of Vista Flores, Altamira and Gualtallary each bring distinctive aromas 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 their Malbec Clásico 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 country's top few producers of this variety.