Achaval-Ferrer has had a long, established history as a source of some Mendoza's best value Malbecs and blends, but the excellent quality standards run all the way up to their outstanding single-vineyard wines as well. We just sourced a must-see trio from the benchmark 2021 vintage at unbelievable pricing.
"...an impressive array of single-parcel Malbecs ... Each wine accurately represents its origins while embracing luxurious textures." - Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
The estate's claim to fame (and the bedrock of their quality) are their fabulous, own-rooted, old-vine parcels on their various fincas dotted across Mendoza and Uco, each location offering a singular personality to its resulting wine. Leading off, the 98-point 2021 Finca Altamira was sourced from a 1950 planting on rich volcanic loam and sand, making for "a textbook expression of contemporary Malbec from the Uco Valley" in the 2021 vintage. This highest-elevation site in the Achaval stable has produced "a fine, structured Malbec, with great sense of place and potential to develop in bottle," as noted by Decanter.
The 95-point 2021 Finca Bella Vista comes from vines well over 100 years old on sandy soil, which has obviously allowed these own-rooted beauties to thrive without the threat of phylloxera. The site's 990m elevation puts the perfect check on an otherwise ripe, concentrated wine. "It's a beautiful and seductive expression of Malbec from Luján de Cuyo," according to Wine Advocate.
Finally, the 2021 Finca Mirador is "a full-bodied, rich and plush wine, but fresh and balanced," the vineyard's 105-year-old vines and clay soils on pebbly bedrock contributing to a solid tannic backbone and immense concentration, while the relatively lower elevation ("only" 700m here) ensures warmer ripening conditions that endow the wine with its massive fruit profile.
Whether your collection is focused on South America or you just like to stash away benchmark expressions from all the world's great wine regions, these are sure cellar bets that will deliver top quality for your collectible dollar, especially at our 25%-below-market pricing.