2021 Achaval Ferrer Altamira Malbec, Mendoza

This is probably the freshest and most eclectic among the four 2021 Finca wines that Achaval Ferrer produces now. Ripe but fresh and complex, with plenty of layers. Black and blue fruit, violets, graphite, dark chocolate and just a touch of balsam. Fresh yet hedonistic with fine veins of tannins. Plush and extremely long. A big step up from the challenging 2020. Likely one of the best, too. Drink or hold.

98 points jamessuckling.com

From a very old vineyard in the northwest of Altamira, planted in 1925, just east of the Tunuyán River. This is the first of the Fincas de Achával Ferrer series, with its inaugural vintage in 1999. And since then it has maintained a style that has a lot to do with the muscularity of its tannins. An imposing red that, in a cool year like 2021, does not seem to have changed in personality. It still has that structure that makes the wine seem opulent and full of ripeness. And it has a major space for acidity, which is also a hallmark of this classic on the Argentine scene.

97 points Patricio Tapia Descorchados

A clear standout of the Achaval Ferrer portfolio, the 2021 Malbec Finca Altamira derives from vines planted in 1950 on sandy volcanic soils atop calcareous stones. It opens with the quintessential perfume of purple flowers that defines Altamira, supplemented by intense dark fruits, fresh herbs and a citrus-tinged freshness. The palate combines immense richness with tensile focus, delivered with sleek, polished precision. It concludes with an expansive, focused finish that lingers with an ethereal nuance and fantastic length. This is a textbook expression of contemporary Malbec from the Uco Valley. Drink Date: 2024 - 2038

96+ points Matthew Luczy robertparker.com 

An expressive, robust minerality builds the framework of this fine, structured Malbec, with great sense of place and potential to develop in bottle. A juicy core of red plum, cherry and ripe fig is sprinkled with graphite and liquorice, and elegantly covered by a thin veil of cardamom and nutmeg. A wine to revisit in years to come.

96 points decanter.com

Achaval Ferrer Altamira Malbec is one of the most important single vineyard wines to emerge from Mendoza and a benchmark for the limestone driven style of Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. The vineyard sits at around eleven hundred metres above sea level at the foot of the Andes, where intense sunlight, cool nights and constant mountain breezes preserve acidity and aromatic precision. The soils here are famously complex, with large rounded stones coated in calcium carbonate over sand and gravel, a profile that gives the wine its distinctive chalky texture and mineral tension. Achaval Ferrer was one of the first producers to recognise the potential of Altamira long before it became a protected geographical indication, and this wine helped establish the region as one of Argentina’s great terroirs.

The winery was founded in the late 1990s by Santiago Achával and Manuel Ferrer, pioneers who believed that great Argentine wine would come not from manipulation in the cellar but from extreme focus in the vineyard. They championed old vines, very low yields and minimal intervention winemaking, allowing site to take centre stage. Altamira Malbec comes from a single old vine parcel, fermented gently and aged in carefully selected oak to frame the fruit without obscuring the vineyard’s natural character.

In the glass the wine shows a deep violet crimson, opening with intense aromas of blackberry, black cherry, violets, graphite and crushed stone. The palate is powerful yet beautifully refined, layering dark fruit, subtle spice and a firm, chalky mineral core that carries through to a long, savoury finish. The tannins are fine and persistent rather than heavy, giving the wine exceptional structure and elegance. It is superb with grilled beef, lamb, game and richly flavoured dishes, and it has the balance to age for twenty years or more, slowly developing notes of tobacco, truffle and savoury earth while retaining its vibrant Andean freshness.

Achaval Ferrer Altamira Malbec is not just a great Malbec but a great wine by any standard, a vivid expression of place that shows how profound Mendoza can be when terroir is allowed to speak.