All winery and vineyard photos courtesy of Achaval-Ferrer
Achaval-Ferrer, Exceptional Wines from Argentina
Malbec and Argentina, you can’t think of one without the other. Intense purple in color, this rich wine with its dark fruit, sweet tannins, violet notes, and spice has captivated the world. Popularity can sometimes diminish quality but not with Achaval-Ferrer, who is dedicated to producing the most extraordinary wines possible.
Over twenty years ago, a vision of world-class wines from Argentina, distinctive in their vineyard expression, fused an Italian-Argentine partnership. Santiago Achaval, inspired by Napa Valley wines while studying in California in the late 1980’s, joined forces with Italian friends Manuel Ferrer, Tiziano Siviero, and Roberto Cipresso, launching the brand in 1995. Over the next few years, they bought vineyards and refined their winemaking strategy. Right off the bat, in 2000, Achaval-Ferrer caught the world’s attention, with the highly acclaimed first release of Finca Altamira 1999. In fact, they became so successful that they were acquired by Stoli in 2011, who has expanded their reach around the globe. Today, Achaval-Ferrer can be found in 62 countries world-wide, a treat for Malbec wine lovers everywhere.
Achaval-Ferrer’s philosophy is a three-pronged approach to producing the best New World-Old World wine. Ungrafted vines, up to a century old, provide the foundation for intense flavors, darker color, and consistent quality fruit. Hand in hand with old vines, lower yields give the wines complexity and concentration. Achaval-Ferrer’s powerful wines reflect the numbers; in Mendoza, the average yield per vine is four bottles, but for Achaval-Ferrer, they’ve crunched the numbers. For the Mendoza tier wines, it’s one vine equals one bottle; for the Quimera wines, two plants equal one bottle; and the single vineyard Fincas, it takes the fruit of three vines to produce one bottle of wine. Not only are the wines more concentrated, but also very fresh and vibrant. And last but not least, during the winemaking process, Achaval-Ferrer practices a hands-off approach, no extended maceration, fining, or filtering, for example, yet the grapes are fermented at higher temperatures to extract more color, flavor, and complexity from the grapes. The end result is big, ripe, expressive New World fruit balanced with Old World elegance, acidity, and structure.
Achaval-Ferrer crafts three tiers of wine. Their entry level Mendoza wines, the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, offer a snapshot of the region, balanced and fresh wines that offer excellent value for everyday drinking. The mid-level wine, Quimera, is a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, a Bordeaux blend skewed to Argentina’s signature grape. The grapes, harvested from the three estate vineyards, impart a complexity and elegance to the wine. And the crowning achievement, the single vineyard “Finca” wines, are small production, expressive Malbec wines that truly channel Argentina’s terroir, Finca Altamira, Finca Bella Vista, and Finca Mirador.
Malbec and Argentina, you can’t think of one without the other. Intense purple in color, this rich wine with its dark fruit, sweet tannins, violet notes, and spice has captivated the world. Popularity can sometimes diminish quality but not with Achaval-Ferrer, who is dedicated to producing the most extraordinary wines possible.
Over twenty years ago, a vision of world-class wines from Argentina, distinctive in their vineyard expression, fused an Italian-Argentine partnership. Santiago Achaval, inspired by Napa Valley wines while studying in California in the late 1980’s, joined forces with Italian friends Manuel Ferrer, Tiziano Siviero, and Roberto Cipresso, launching the brand in 1995. Over the next few years, they bought vineyards and refined their winemaking strategy. Right off the bat, in 2000, Achaval-Ferrer caught the world’s attention, with the highly acclaimed first release of Finca Altamira 1999. In fact, they became so successful that they were acquired by Stoli in 2011, who has expanded their reach around the globe. Today, Achaval-Ferrer can be found in 62 countries world-wide, a treat for Malbec wine lovers everywhere.
Achaval-Ferrer’s philosophy is a three-pronged approach to producing the best New World-Old World wine. Ungrafted vines, up to a century old, provide the foundation for intense flavors, darker color, and consistent quality fruit. Hand in hand with old vines, lower yields give the wines complexity and concentration. Achaval-Ferrer’s powerful wines reflect the numbers; in Mendoza, the average yield per vine is four bottles, but for Achaval-Ferrer, they’ve crunched the numbers. For the Mendoza tier wines, it’s one vine equals one bottle; for the Quimera wines, two plants equal one bottle; and the single vineyard Fincas, it takes the fruit of three vines to produce one bottle of wine. Not only are the wines more concentrated, but also very fresh and vibrant. And last but not least, during the winemaking process, Achaval-Ferrer practices a hands-off approach, no extended maceration, fining, or filtering, for example, yet the grapes are fermented at higher temperatures to extract more color, flavor, and complexity from the grapes. The end result is big, ripe, expressive New World fruit balanced with Old World elegance, acidity, and structure.
Achaval-Ferrer crafts three tiers of wine. Their entry level Mendoza wines, the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, offer a snapshot of the region, balanced and fresh wines that offer excellent value for everyday drinking. The mid-level wine, Quimera, is a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, a Bordeaux blend skewed to Argentina’s signature grape. The grapes, harvested from the three estate vineyards, impart a complexity and elegance to the wine. And the crowning achievement, the single vineyard “Finca” wines, are small production, expressive Malbec wines that truly channel Argentina’s terroir, Finca Altamira, Finca Bella Vista, and Finca Mirador.
Marcelo Victoria shares his incredible Malbec wines with me
Marcelo Victoria, Global Brand Ambassador for Achaval-Ferrer, came to Los Angeles to display the range of their wines, from single vineyard Malbecs to a Bordeaux blend with a twist. Over a tomahawk steak, Malbec’s match made in heaven, the #MalbecMeatUp at BOA Steakhouse introduced wine professionals to what makes Achaval-Ferrer so special. Victoria, one of the original co-founders of the brand, and the driving force to bring the wines to a global market, explained what sets Achaval-Ferrer apart.
Victoria notes, “We strongly believe in our terroir, we strongly believe that Argentina can make beautiful, elegant, supple and concentrated wines.” He believes by respecting the land, you can get terrific Malbec wines. “We just believe in farming, we do not macerate, no acid, no sulfur, 100% natural processes, this is like a dish, like a chef, we get the best ingredients, no intervention, totally natural.” And what quality, Argentina has the oldest ungrafted vines in the world, as Victoria explains, “We have a massive amount of old vineyards, pre-Phylloxera, in just one vineyard, there are 100-150 types of clones in one hectare, the complexity in our wines comes from diversity”. Clarifying Achaval-Ferrer’s wine tiers, Victoria says, “The first tier is about expression of fruit; the second tier is what human beings designed, and the third tier is what Mother Nature tells us, the single vineyard expression of this unique Argentine place.”
What really sets Achaval-Ferrer apart, the almost immediate blending of the wines, instead of waiting until close to bottling to make the blend, the winemakers blend the separately vinified lots just over a week after malolactic fermentation. Unlike Bordeaux, whose wines can take up to ten years to be fully integrated, these wines are immediately approachable, soft upon release, yet with enough structure from the Fincas for ageing. It’s certainly a novel outlook for a world-class wine!
Victoria notes, “We strongly believe in our terroir, we strongly believe that Argentina can make beautiful, elegant, supple and concentrated wines.” He believes by respecting the land, you can get terrific Malbec wines. “We just believe in farming, we do not macerate, no acid, no sulfur, 100% natural processes, this is like a dish, like a chef, we get the best ingredients, no intervention, totally natural.” And what quality, Argentina has the oldest ungrafted vines in the world, as Victoria explains, “We have a massive amount of old vineyards, pre-Phylloxera, in just one vineyard, there are 100-150 types of clones in one hectare, the complexity in our wines comes from diversity”. Clarifying Achaval-Ferrer’s wine tiers, Victoria says, “The first tier is about expression of fruit; the second tier is what human beings designed, and the third tier is what Mother Nature tells us, the single vineyard expression of this unique Argentine place.”
What really sets Achaval-Ferrer apart, the almost immediate blending of the wines, instead of waiting until close to bottling to make the blend, the winemakers blend the separately vinified lots just over a week after malolactic fermentation. Unlike Bordeaux, whose wines can take up to ten years to be fully integrated, these wines are immediately approachable, soft upon release, yet with enough structure from the Fincas for ageing. It’s certainly a novel outlook for a world-class wine!
The Cabernet Mendoza 2013 (SRP $25) is a softer version of Bordeaux, red fruit, tobacco, pepper, and earthy nuances frame a core of fresh acidity, accented with dusty tannins, this suave wine delivers a persistent finish, enjoyable by the glass or with food.
The Malbec Mendoza 2014 (SRP $25) is fresh and bright, with blackberry and raspberry fruit, mineral and floral, with silky tannins and a long finish, a smooth wine that speaks of multiple vineyards and intense Andes sun.
The Quimera 2012 (SRP $35) is a complex, Bordeaux-inspired blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Named for the mythical monster, a hybrid creature made up of the parts of many different animals, the percentages change every year, according to vintage conditions. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and cassis, accented with violet floral notes, unfold into concentrated flavors of blackberry, licorice, tobacco, and dark chocolate. Earthy, a touch of herbal, with plush tannins and bright acidity, this wine drinks at twice the price, a perfect food wine.
The Finca Altamira 2013 (SRP $150) is an opulent wine, made from 13 acres of ungrafted Malbec that was planted in 1925. Complex layers of black and red fruit, violets, leather, spice, and espresso come together in an incredible wine, silky, fresh, and refined, this is the pinnacle of Malbec.
The Finca Bella Vista 2012 (SRP $139) is elegant and aromatic, crafted from old vine Malbec grapes from a 100-year-old vineyard adjacent to the winery. Concentrated aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone, and violets perfume the full body, wrapped around a juicy core of acidity, it glides seamlessly across your palate, a silky powerhouse with fine tannins and a finish that seems to go on forever.
The Finca Mirador 2011 (SRP $139) is savory and spicy, the blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso, and tobacco notes accented with hints of herbs, leather, pepper, and graphite, a personable wine of elegance and texture.
All of the Fincas are critically acclaimed, and unique expressions of their mountain vineyard slopes, what Victoria calls “monuments”. Achaval-Ferrer has evolved into something different, not strictly New World or Old World, but a wonderful fusion of the best of both worlds. You can taste the passion and commitment that went into producing these wines and the respect for nature. Achaval-Ferrer is living the dream, setting the bar high for world-class Malbec wines, who are so breathtakingly beautiful, they’ll haunt your senses forever.
The Malbec Mendoza 2014 (SRP $25) is fresh and bright, with blackberry and raspberry fruit, mineral and floral, with silky tannins and a long finish, a smooth wine that speaks of multiple vineyards and intense Andes sun.
The Quimera 2012 (SRP $35) is a complex, Bordeaux-inspired blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Named for the mythical monster, a hybrid creature made up of the parts of many different animals, the percentages change every year, according to vintage conditions. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and cassis, accented with violet floral notes, unfold into concentrated flavors of blackberry, licorice, tobacco, and dark chocolate. Earthy, a touch of herbal, with plush tannins and bright acidity, this wine drinks at twice the price, a perfect food wine.
The Finca Altamira 2013 (SRP $150) is an opulent wine, made from 13 acres of ungrafted Malbec that was planted in 1925. Complex layers of black and red fruit, violets, leather, spice, and espresso come together in an incredible wine, silky, fresh, and refined, this is the pinnacle of Malbec.
The Finca Bella Vista 2012 (SRP $139) is elegant and aromatic, crafted from old vine Malbec grapes from a 100-year-old vineyard adjacent to the winery. Concentrated aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone, and violets perfume the full body, wrapped around a juicy core of acidity, it glides seamlessly across your palate, a silky powerhouse with fine tannins and a finish that seems to go on forever.
The Finca Mirador 2011 (SRP $139) is savory and spicy, the blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso, and tobacco notes accented with hints of herbs, leather, pepper, and graphite, a personable wine of elegance and texture.
All of the Fincas are critically acclaimed, and unique expressions of their mountain vineyard slopes, what Victoria calls “monuments”. Achaval-Ferrer has evolved into something different, not strictly New World or Old World, but a wonderful fusion of the best of both worlds. You can taste the passion and commitment that went into producing these wines and the respect for nature. Achaval-Ferrer is living the dream, setting the bar high for world-class Malbec wines, who are so breathtakingly beautiful, they’ll haunt your senses forever.