2013 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico, Mendoza

This is a juicy Malbec with deep ruby with flecks of blue and even brick. This wine has a nose with traditional notes of crunchy plum, cherries, and chocolate cake but surprises with hints of banana and passion fruit. Super fine tannins and balanced acidity frames a palate of plum, blueberry and white pepper. Can be paired with light fare or heavierdishes, but also can be enjoyed alone.

WINEMAKING

Grapes from different vineyards are vinified separately before the final blend. After a careful, double sorting process, the grapes are softly pressed and fer- mented with indigenous yeasts in order to express each of the selected vineyards. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks between 24-28 C for

10 days. Each tank is tasted three times a day to determine what is needed. The must is pumped over up to three times a day for extraction, with two rack-and-returns. The wine is then aged for 10 months in concrete piletas.

A blend of 100% Malbec grapes harvested by hand from our vineyard in Medrano and from surrounding vineyards. We choose deep, fresh soils, to delay ripening, and avoid hydric stress. These are sandy loams where the clay component provides mineral nu- trients and water retention, while the sand component prevents the silt and clay part from compacting excessively, and guarantees water drainage. In this climate we avoid soils with abundant superficial gravel, which increases the warming effect, and might shorten the ripening season - which we rely on to give our Malbec its intensity and flavor.