Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico Organico 2023

While Altos Las Hormigas was founded in 1995 by Tuscan winemaking giants Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi to champion Malbec, the estate has undergone a profound modern evolution. Driven by world-renowned terroir expert Pedro Parra, the winery shifted completely away from heavy oak extraction and over-ripe fruit.

The Clásico Orgánico represents the pinnacle of this "new wave" style—a certified organic, entry-level powerhouse fermented entirely with native yeasts and aged without wood to preserve the honest, pure personality of Mendoza’s soils.

Wine Description

The Altos Las Hormigas Clásico is a highly vibrant, fresh, and energetic red wine that trades heavy oak and sweet jam for an authentic, fluid, and mineral-lined texture.

• Appearance: A concentrated, bright ruby red with vivid violet hues at the rim.

• Nose: Intensely aromatic and characterful. Rather than smelling of vanilla or wood, it bursts with fresh red plums, black cherries, and raspberries, intricately lifted by savory complex top notes of anise, cardamom, black pepper, and eucalyptus. It also showcases a distinct hint of jarilla (a native wild shrub found in Mendoza's high deserts).

• Palate: Fluid, sleek, and exceptionally juicy. The palate entry is remarkably clean and medium-bodied, delivering a fresh, primary core of dark stone fruit and a hint of dark chocolate. It features a loose, lightly grippy texture with fine, supple tannins and a vertical, linear acidity that completely cleanses the palate on a lingering, thirst-quenching finish.

• Technical Details: 100% Malbec. The fruit is a strategic blend sourced from organically grown vineyards in Luján de Cuyo (70%), which provides rich texture, and Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley (30%), which injects limestone minerality and vertical acidity. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented cold in stainless steel tanks for 10 days with 5% whole clusters and native yeasts. Extraction was kept to an absolute minimum. To guarantee fruit purity, the wine was aged for 9 months entirely in concrete vats with zero oak influence. Alcohol sits at 13.9% ABV with a bone-dry residual sugar of 2.7 g/L.

Food Pairing

Because this Malbec is unoaked and highly fresh, it avoids the heavy, palate-fatiguing weight of old-school styles, making it exceptionally versatile with food. It is an elite match for classic Argentine empanadas, grilled choripán (sausage), and barbecued skirt steak. It is equally delicious paired with everyday family fare, including hearty tomato-based pasta dishes, breaded veal cutlets (milanesa), or roasted root vegetables tossed in rosemary and olive oil.