2022 Uco Valley Malbec Reserve, Altos Las Hormigas

• Style: Mineral-driven, high-altitude Malbec
• Taste: Dark plum, white rose, warming spice, fresh herb finish
• Food: BBQ & grilled dishes, beef, lamb, stews, roast dinners
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night, serious tasting
• Serve: 16–18°C, now or age 5–8 years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Deep ruby with violet rim, this wine unfolds with a mineral backbone shaped by high altitude and limestone soils. Plum and white rose lead, followed by warming spice and fresh herbs. The acidity is lively without aggression; tannins are firm yet approachable. It drinks beautifully now and will age gracefully for another five to eight years—a textbook expression of why Malbec has become synonymous with Argentine quality.

The Winery — Altos Las Hormigas

Founded in 1995 by Italian winemakers Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi, Altos Las Hormigas is based in Luján de Cuyo—Mendoza's first officially recognised appellation and a premium vine-growing area. The estate is recognised as one of Argentina's top five Malbec specialists, working 88 hectares with 56 currently in production. The 2022 vintage sources grapes from calcareous, high-altitude terraces, where alluvial gravels and calcium carbonate create the textural precision you taste in this reserve. Hand-harvesting, cool-temperature fermentation with indigenous yeast, and restrained oak use—just 25% in large French fourdres, the rest in concrete—preserve freshness and mineral clarity. The 2022 benefited from careful management through intense summer heat and late-season rainfall, achieving perfect balance between its 13.5% alcohol and vibrant acidity.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is a wine that confidently partners with grilled lamb, beef, BBQ, stews, braises, and roast dinners. Its mineral precision and herb-driven freshness make it equally compelling at the dinner table or during a serious tasting. Serve at 16–18°C. If you're exploring Malbec beyond the obvious, this reserve sits at the intersection of the grape's deep, ripe fruit character and the kind of minerality that only serious altitude delivers. It's one of the finest expressions from the Uco Valley, and represents exactly why this region has become essential to any serious Argentina collection.