| Region of production: | Mendoza IG |
| Winery Location: | Medrano, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza |
| Year Established: | 1995 |
Vineyard Holdings
- Altos Las Hormigas (56 ha): Luján de Cuyo IG. Of the 50 planted hectares, 6 are planted to Bonarda and the rest to Malbec.
- Jardín Altamira (35 ha): Paraje Altamira IG. Malbec, Bonarda, and Sémillon.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Malbec Reserve (Valle de Uco IG): 100% Malbec from limestone sites across the Uco Valley. Inaugural vintage 1997.
- Malbec Terroir Valle de Uco (Valle de Uco IG): 100% Malbec from generally alluvial sites above 900 meters in elevation. Inaugural vintage 2009.
- Malbec Terroir Luján de Cuyo (Luján de Cuyo IG): 100% Malbec from an organic-certified plot on the estate property. Inaugural vintage 2016.
- Malbec Appellation Gualtallary (Gualtallary, Tupungato IG): 100% Malbec from a gravel-limestone vineyard at 1,300 meters in elevation. (Despite the wine’s name, Gualtallary is not an official appellation.) Inaugural vintage 2011.
- Malbec Appellation Altamira (Paraje Altamira IG): 100% Malbec from a gravel-limestone vineyard at 1,200 meters in elevation. Inaugural vintage 2011.
- Tinto (Mendoza IG): A blend of Malbec, Bonarda, and Sémillon. Malbec and Sémillon are co-fermented. Inaugural vintage 2017.
Average Total Production
- 1,020,000 bottles
Summary
Altos Las Hormigas is a collaboration between two Italians, entrepreneur Antonio Morescalchi and influential winemaker and consultant Alberto Antonini. After conceiving the idea in 1995, they planted their property in Luján de Cuyo the following year with a focus on Malbec, which at that time was still in the shadow of other Bordeaux varieties. Hormigas means “ants,” referencing the myriad ant colonies on the estate that, during the first planting, ate many young vines. The vineyard sits at 2,600 feet above sea level, and the winery team has identified different “terroir units” of the property and farms them individually, incorporating biodynamic practices. Antonini and Attilio Pagli, also Italian, make the wines today.
Style & Vinification Techniques
All estate fruit is hand-harvested and hand-sorted, then delivered to fermentation vessels by gravity. Natural yeasts are used for fermentation, and punchdowns are manual. The top wines are aged in untoasted 3,500-liter foudres after fermentation in concrete.
Producer Website: Altos Las Hormigas