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2004 Achával-Ferrer Malbec Finca Altamira |
| Vintage | 2004 |  Label 1 of 2   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Achával-Ferrer (web) | ||
| Variety | Malbec | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | Finca Altamira | ||
| Country | Argentina | ||
| Region | Mendoza | ||
| SubRegion | Valle de Uco | ||
| Appellation | La Consulta |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 93.8 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 14 notes) | |
| Tasted by Kdawg on 5/28/2010 & rated 93 points: nose: rich and lush nose of blue fruits, smoke, black fruits, and dark red cherries. While not the most complex nose, there was great layering and depth on it that is seamless taste: full bodied with smooth and silky tannins along with rich tones of blue fruits, black cherries, black fruits, smoke, bits of black currants and spice tones. Very well balanced with a real richness to it without being overdone overall: A real quality wine. This can go further, but is in a real good spot right now. This was just off of a pop n pour and would probably show real well with a 1 or 2 hour decant (429 views) | |
| Tasted by wineglas on 3/29/2010 & rated 94 points: Minneapolis Wine Club South America (Gail's House): Floral, dust, spice, chalk, floral and cherry on the nose. The palate is really complex and the wine balanced. I love the dusty and chalk quality. Medium finish with layers of flavors. Good acidity and a great example of high end Malbec. (641 views) | |
| Tasted by wineglas on 3/2/2010 & rated 96 points: Decanted 2 hours. Dark purple. Nose is amazing with floral, blueberries, perfume, and subtle spices. The palate is showing blueberries, espresso, spices, floral and earth. Medium finish and this wine is extremely balanced. This is the best South American Wine I have ever tasted! Thank you Parker Board for the $40 a bottle price!!!!! (797 views) | |
| Tasted by gportilla on 11/18/2009: Achaval-Ferrer 2004 Malbecs: Very impressive fruit on the nose. Full bodied with nicely integrated fruit toward the dark end of the spectrum. Coats the palate with that blackberry chocolaty presence that persists. Tannins are moderate but smoothing out. My number two wine of the 04's (1126 views) | |
| Tasted by bigjy989 on 11/16/2009 & rated 93 points: (959 views) | |
| Tasted by carerra on 10/31/2009 & rated 96 points: This is one amazing wine. Vibrant and voluptuous. Will be far better after being aged. (1203 views) | |
| Tasted by Richard Jennings on 9/25/2009 & rated 93 points: Achaval Ferrer Tasting w/ Manuel Ferrer (K&L Wines, Redwood City, California): Opaque black red violet color; lavender, black fruit, graphite, licorice nose; very tasty, tart berry, tart black fruit, nutmeg, maturing but still quite youthful, balanced palate; long finish 93+ pts. (1287 views) | |
| Tasted by WineGirlOne on 3/13/2009 & rated 90 points: still young showing bright acidity. Only decanted for 30 minutes. Expect this to develop more depth as it ages. (1532 views) | |
| Tasted by cvvhrn on 1/21/2009 & rated 96 points: WOW! let me say it one more time WOW. This wine was sublime and perhaps one the Top 20 I have ever tasted. Hints of leather and grass on the nose with a complex palate of basil, spice, fluer de sel, and dark dark fruit. Lush mouthfeel and a long finish. Will be mind blowing in a few years IMHO. (1873 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 5/7/2008 & rated 94 points: South American Wines (Rios de Sudamerica): Nose has fresh berry fruits, spice and hints of toasty oak. Fresh rich fruits on the medium bodied palate. Very lifted and long, long, long. Classy and showing a lot of pedigree. (2556 views) | |
| Tasted by Employee500 on 1/11/2008 & rated 96 points: Approaching the category of truly profound, this is a revelation for me, and the best Malbec I've had to date. Dense and sweet but complex and elegant...full-bodied....obviously ripe (but avoiding any objection of over-ripeness) but balanced and well-structured, with a First-Growth finesse. (2877 views) | |
| Tasted by wcacern on 4/14/2007: Ne Plus Ultra: The 95 & up club: WS95. super purple, purple inky color. aromas of dark purple / black fruit, hint of olives. (2016 views) | |
| Tasted by vinaigre on 11/1/2006 & rated 91 points: Deep inky dark ruby Very candied nose with a touch of benadryl. A lot better on the palate than the nose. Short finish. Notes are more for the palate than the nose, this was young and disjointed. i can see it coming together in a few years. (2575 views) | |
| Tasted by claudio_bxl on 8/28/2004: Tasted from a barrel sample during a visit to the Achaval Ferrer winery in Mendoza The Finca Altamira had great concentration; it was very thick on the glass and nearly black! On the first nose it showed graphite, eucalyptus and red fruit, it was extremely elegant and appealing. The second nose had some balsamic aromas and a great blend of ripe red and black fruit. The mouth was very round and had concentrated aromas of fruit and mineral with again good oak integration and good acidity. This wine was to me the one with most finesse of the tasting. (4551 views) |
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| Producer web site The winery became at 1998 based on two principles: search for the highest quality in all their products and respect the concept of terroir. With this principles they bought Finca Altamira, Finca Bellavista, Finca Mirador and Finca Diamante; in different types of soils in the best lands of Mendoza. The product line starts with a special Malbec, a blend called Quimera and then the special products of the “fincas”. About Red Wines Varietal character (Appellation America) One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. With its natural balance, good pairings include: cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat, pâté, spinach soufflé, and hearty pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra. Wines of Argentina Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement. The wine-making region in Argentina ranges between the 22° and 42° South latitude. It spreads at the foothills of the Andean mountain range along over 2,400 km; from the province of Salta to the province of Río Negro, with a variety of climates and soils that makes each region a unique land. In general terms, the areas dedicated to vine cultivation are dry and arid with a low level of rain and humidity, determining factor as regards grape health. Abundant sunny days and thermal amplitude favor a good maturity and concentration of aroma and color in the grain. Soils are deep, permeable and poor in organic matter, decisive qualities at the time of obtaining good wine. Due to the low rain regime, irrigation is necessary. Water comes from the Andean range thaw, descending in the shape of rivers to become channels or ditches. Undoubtedly, the combination of these factors turns Argentina into a veritable oasis for the highest quality wine-making. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Wine-making in Argentina, at the level that it achieves today, has a young history that goes back to a little more than 10 years ago. Technological progress, investment and some farsighted businessmen enabled a determining transformation. The province of Mendoza is the most traditional area in the viticultural industry, and is diverse enough to be divided into zones, according to their significantly different weather, height and soil characteristics. These include the Northern Zone, which is suitable for fruity whites and young reds, at a height from 600 to 700m; the Eastern Zone, with a height ranging from 600 to 700m, and the most productive zone in the province; the Uco Valley, a zone of colder weather and higher altitudes (between 800 and 1,400m over sea level); San Rafael, with heights ranging from 450 to 800m; and the High Zone of the Mendoza River, with heights ranging from 800 to 1,100m over sea level and various microclimates, this is the zone where almost all noble varieties have easily become adapted. It is a region that is remarkably well-suited to vine culture, protected from the Pacific’s cooling influence by the Andes and enjoying a long summer of cool nights and warm days, with a dry summer climate but plenty of water available from the region’s rivers. Malbec in particular is outstanding from this area, and it has clearly emerged as the star, the darling of both consumers and critics. Wines of Mendoza Argentine Malbec Producers |
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