The Great Malbec Experiment: Wines of Achaval-Ferrer

Winery Achaval-Ferrer started out in 1999 as an experiment. The winery owners saw great potential to make premium Malbec wines in Argentina, a purpose which they have pursued with gusto. The winery focuses on quality and making high-end wines, resulting in a small production of 12,000 bottles per year of which 80% will be consumed outside of Argentina.

The greatest care is taken from vine to bottle:

• Only one cluster of grapes per branch is kept so the vine can focus on making the best fruit possible
• The vines are 95-100 years old, producing mature and quality grapes
• 100% of the barrels are French oak
• Much of the work is done by hand, from harvesting to placing on the label
• The winery keeps their labor staff on year round by carefully organizing tasks. They believe that if they can take care of the workers, they, in turn, will take care of product.

Achaval-Ferrer produces three Malbecs from different regions, to showcase how the same varietal is effected by its "terroir", or its unique mixture of soil and climate.

• Finca Altamira is in the Valle de Uco, a high-altitude region known for its cold nights from which the grapes earn their thick skin.
• Finca Bella Vista surrounds the winery in the Luján de Cuyo region with its sand and gravel that can give wines a mineral element.
• Finca Mirador comes from Medrano, a hot region with thick clay soil.
• Malbec Mendoza blends the Malbecs from the winery's three regions, which has become the winery's flagship product.

The Quimera blend is made from 35% Malbec, 25% Cabernet, 23% Merlot, 12% Tannat, and 5% Petit Bordeaux. The Quimera blend is different than other blends in that it is mixed before it ferments, so that it can create chemical unity.