2018 Achaval Ferrer Malbec, Mendoza

Benchmark Argentinian producer Achaval-Ferrer was the first winery in Argentina to achieve a 100 point score from The Wine Advocate. Anyone who has been to Argentina will know how Italian the place is. This is particularly true in the wine industry and it’s no surprise that Achaval-Ferre began as a partnership between Italian & Argentinina winemakers. The vineyard foundation is un-grafted 100 year + old vines which are run “virtually organic” with manure used to fertilize. Grapes are picked about three weeks before most and yields are restricted to 1.8-5 tonnes per hectare. Their winery and 60 acre vineyard Finca Bella Vista is a must visit experience in Mendoza and explores the nuances of Malbec from different soil types and altitude. Although the winery was only finished in 2006, the winery setup is distinctly old-school Argentinian, with no stainless steel in sight and ample use of concrete vats built into the winery walls. Cold soaks are not applied and ferments are allowed to run warm with no acid adjustment, minimal racking, no fining or filtration. The project has three core values: to be varietal, to show complexity and to translate the character of the land.