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: 2019 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Gualtallary

2019 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Gualtallary

SKU #1650208 97 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2019 Malbec Appellation Gualtallary comes from specific soils, two small three-hectare plots in the Cerros del Jaboncillo, where they find more caliche and limestone in Tupungato Winelands. They believe this place transmits the maximum expression of limestone to Malbec, giving a structured wine with fine-grained tannins with the wilderness from Gualtallary. It fermented in small concrete vats with indigenous yeasts at some 26 degrees Celsius for 20 days. Eighty-five percent of the volume matured in untoasted 3,500-liter French oak foudres for 20 months while the rest was kept in concrete. They sell it a little later than the Altamira because they feel Gualtallary needs a little more time in bottle; therefore, they are now offering the 2019 vintage, a very balanced wine that talks about the place where it was born. This is vibrant and expressive, with a complex nose and especially a lively palate with effervescent acidity and very fine-boned with elegant but firm tannins (they say "Serralunga-like" tannins). I find the recurring iron-like note of blood and fresh meat here too, intermixed with the wild flowers, herbs and spices. This has depth and complexity, and if Altamira is Barbaresco, Gualtallary is Barolo... (LG) Inner quote mark (11/2022)

95 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark Dense and powerful, but in a very fresh and scented way, with violet, hibiscus, oyster-shell and hot-stone notes to the black and blue fruit. Almost a bit gamey with some wet earth. Full-bodied and quite dense on the palate. There is volume, with succulents and real structure, and, of course, some fine austerity. Quite puristic and intellectual, far from flattering. Give it some time to fully unwind itself. Best from 2025. Inner quote mark (6/2022)

95 points Tim Atkin

Outer quote mark Altos Las Hormigas sources this funky, slightly animal Malbec from a single parcel of vines inside the Tupungato Winelands estate in Gualtallary. Thyme and lavender aromas segue into a concentrated, spicy, very lightly wooded palate with impressive underlying grip and tannic structure. Inner quote mark

92 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2019 Malbec Appellation from Gualtallary, Uco Valley was 75% aged in foudres for a year. Dark purple in hue. The substantial aromas feature chicken stock, herbs and hints of blackberry and ripe fruit. Medium bodied in the mouth with refined, reactive, slightly young tannins, the firm structure lends greater depth. (JH) Inner quote mark (9/2022)

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2019 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Gualtallary

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Varietal:

Malbec

- These days if you're drinking a Malbec it's probably from Argentina. The most planted grape in that country, varietally-labeled Argentine Malbecs are one of the wine market's great values, prized for their slight herbal component and dark, luscious fruit. Structurally, Argentina's Malbecs are much different than those grown in the grape's native France; they are riper, fruitier and fleshier. In France, the best iterations of Malbec can be found in the Cahors, where it can be quite decadent. It is also planted in the Loire Valley, where it is called Côt and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Gamay, and in Bordeaux, where it has fallen from favor in many of the region's great blends because it is difficult to grow. In the United States, the varietal is frequently added to Meritage wines - Bordeaux style blends - but it is rarely found on its own.

Country:

Argentina

- Argentina is regarded as one of the most dynamic wine-producing nations in the world, and possibly the most important wine-producing region in South America. Only four countries in the world produce more wine than Argentina. Considerable investments (much of which has come from famous French, Italian and California wine producers) have been made in new vineyards and winemaking technology in the past several years, which along with recent plantings of more premium varieties of grapes, has made Argentina much more competitive internationally. The Mendoza region is the most important region in Argentina's wine industry. And Malbec, among other Bordeaux varietals grown here, reigns supreme.