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2007 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec |
| Vintage | 2007 |  Label 1 of 6   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Achaval-Ferrer (web) | ||
| Variety | Malbec | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | Argentina | ||
| Region | Mendoza | ||
| SubRegion | Lujan de Cuyo | ||
| Appellation | n/a | ||
| UPC Code | 874053007060 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 88 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 46 notes) | |
| Tasted by vancouvermatt on 1/18/2010 & rated 89 points: Very solid wine. Nice aromatics and balance. this is an early drinker. (254 views) | |
| Tasted by Flashman on 1/16/2010 & rated 86 points: Malbecs From Viña Cobos: Didn't have the taste of a typical Malbec, more of an earthy flavor. (238 views) | |
| Tasted by Raul on 1/16/2010 & rated 89 points: (33 views) | |
| Tasted by joeher133 on 12/26/2009 & rated 88 points: (359 views) | |
| Tasted by chanote44 on 12/13/2009 & rated 86 points: This wine had absolutely no nose. Boring and bland. (712 views) | |
| Tasted by wihong on 12/3/2009 & rated 86 points: Color: Dark opaque purple, long legs. Aroma: Grape-forward, black current, tobacco, leather, cherry, plum, meaty. Taste: Entry: Nice acidity, juicy, coffee, licorice, strawberry. Mid-Palate: Lemon, woody, pencil lead, clove, leather, tobacco. Finish: Light tannin, cigar ash. Nice acidity and mild tannin, light body, very concentrated grape juice. Good food-wine and nice QPR. (462 views) | |
| Tasted by Raul on 11/16/2009 & rated 89 points: COLOUR DEPTH: dark; COLOUR HUE: purple-red; CLARITY: clear; AROMA INTENSITY: aromatic; DEVELOPMENT: youthful; AROMAS: red fruits, spices, mineral, leather; DRY/SWEET: very dry; BODY: medium; ACIDITY: fresh/smooth; TANNINS LEVEL: medium; TANNINS TYPE: soft; FLAVOUR INTENSITY: flavorful; FLAVOURS: ripe red fruits, spices, minerals; FINISH: very long; CONCLUSIONS: fruity, nice balance. Food Pairing: grilled meat. (740 views) | |
| Tasted by Rustyca on 11/12/2009 & rated 89 points: (756 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Drank on 11/2/2009 & rated 86 points: Solid dark purple in the glass, almost totally opaque. On the nose ripe blackberry, raspberry, a floral element, cherry pie & spices, EtOH. After a bit of coaxing there is a hint of sweet tobacco/burnt ash that appears. The palate mirrors the nose; sweet fruit driven with a bit of leather or minerality adding complexity. Good body, balancing acidity, gentle tannins, medium+ finish. On sale $14.99, 86 points. Better on day 2. Highly extracted but still very accessible. Pretty good but lacking dimensions beyond the generous fruit. (1159 views) | |
| Tasted by hsacks on 10/30/2009 & rated 90 points: Deep purple color. Aromas of black fruits, mocha and smoke. Nicely extracted fruit in the mouth with very good depth and structure . Tannins were ripe and nicely integrated. Still a bit young but benefited from being drunk in Eisch glasses. (1109 views) | |
| Tasted by DJDEWine on 9/27/2009 & rated 89 points: Opened it open and let it breathe for about 1 1/2 hours before pouring the first glass. Lovely nose of cherries, black currant and smoke. The taste of really good for the $$. I think that it needed the time to blossom before drinking. I would re-buy this wine. (1212 views) | |
| Tasted by Raul on 9/13/2009 & rated 90 points: Colour Depth: deep/dark; Colour Hue: purple-red; Clarity: clear; Aroma Intensity: aromatic; Development: youthful; Aromas: ripe red fruits, cherry, leather, mineral, smoky; Dry/Sweet: very dry; Body: medium; Acidity: lively; Tannins Level: high; Tannins Type: soft/astringent; Flavour Intensity: flavorful; Flavours: ripe red fruits, cherry, leather, smoky hints; Finish: v. long; Conclusions: nice balance wine. (1308 views) | |
| Tasted by french16 on 9/12/2009 & rated 89 points: Achaval Ferrer Winery Visit (Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza - Argentina): Grapes are coming from 5 different regions. Nice cassis, prunes and raspberry. Good balance and acidity in the wine. Right now this is a little simple but the potential is there. Wait 3-4 years. (1305 views) | |
| Tasted by SKannan on 9/9/2009 & rated 91 points: (1129 views) | |
| Tasted by Coupe 60 on 9/8/2009 & rated 89 points: Aroma of grape jam. On the palate, dark fruit with a hint of sweetness, medium + body, low acidity. Smooth drinker that was pretty tasty. A nice effort, that tasted well just sipping. (1474 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 8/10/2009 & rated 86 points: Deep purple color. Ripe nose of plum, blackberries, cherry, and a green eucalyptus note. Palate with an overly rich round fruit forward palate with a bit of a burnt rubber character that is slightly off putting. Finish is lengthy, with plenty of coffee/mocha character. Seems a little overdone for my taste. (1652 views) | |
| Tasted by NCO on 8/5/2009: Very good. Floral, perfumy nose, after waltzing also tobacco, dark fruit, "drop". Medium to full bodied, sweet ripe tannins, black fruit, good acidity, long aftertaste. Recommended 90+ (1745 views) | |
| Tasted by gigabit on 7/18/2009 & rated 89 points: (1452 views) | |
| Tasted by Raul on 7/12/2009 & rated 90 points: (1417 views) | |
| Tasted by DrEdwardo on 7/9/2009 & rated 88 points: Impenetrable violet. Nutmeg spiced blackberry pie nose. Clean, plush, sweet, vanilla, strawberry, with a lingering nutmeg finish. (1463 views) | |
| Tasted by stosh on 7/8/2009 & rated 89 points: Too much heat prevents this from being a 91-92 -- alcohol on the nose is a tad overwhelming to the experience on the tongue. Still, a really very good value, with a pleasant chewy body, black fruits and pepper, and a good finish. (1898 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 7/6/2009 & rated 90 points: (781 views) | |
| Tasted by MarcoAzevedo on 6/4/2009 & rated 90 points: Fresh, lovely and light accidity, a touch of citricity. Rich, nice violet aroma and picky mineral notes. (1691 views) | |
| Tasted by gigabit on 6/1/2009 & rated 90 points: This is one of the best entry-level Malbecs that I have had. A wonderful nose of crushed violets, spice, dark fruits, and earth. Everything carried over to the palate which was juicy and lively; it ended with sweet tannins and power on the finish. Highly recommended. (2152 views) | |
| Tasted by cgrimes on 5/22/2009 & rated 87 points: The Newburyport Wine Group--Malbecs in May (Jeremy & Angela's Deck, Newburyport, MA): Purple color. Smoother nose of blackberry, blueberry, vanilla. Similar on the palate. Very smooth with softer tannins. It was good but lacked structure. My #4. (2240 views) | |
| Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles) |
| 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 wine 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. Because if its balance and fruit, 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 and chicken, pâté, spinach soufflé, and 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 Luján de Cuyo (Municipalidad de Luján de Cuyo) |
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