Altos Las Hormigas Clasico Malbec 2013

Altos Las Hormigas Clasico Malbec 2013
Altos Las Hormigas Clasico Malbec 2013

A clear, medium, ruby wine with tears evident. Medium intensity nose clean and developing with smoke and savoury aromas somewhat overpowering the blackberry fruit and plum.

Dry with medium+ acid, medium+ alcohol (14%) and medium silky tannins. A medium bodied wine with medium finish and flavours of plum and sour cherry, but hard to find under the smoke and tar nose. Not unpleasant, just different.

This is a good wine (90 points) but will benefit from decanting to lift the fruit a bit. Mid-priced and for drinking now, may improve until 2017.

The acid and tannin profile, in combination with the nose, will suit meat based dished from charcuterie through to hams and even heavier dishes like osso bucco.

Check out their range here.

La Mechita Malbec 2014

La Mechita Malbec 2014
La Mechita Malbec 2014

A clear, medium to deep, purple wine with thin legs. Medium- intensity nose clean and youthful with raspberry, red cherry and vanilla.

Dry and slap bang medium on acid, alcohol (13.5%), tannins and finish with body just a tad under at medium-. The wine has a flat flavour profile of generalised red berries and on the whole, not a well-integrated wine.

This is an acceptable wine (87 points) but not a great example of Argentinian malbec. Although inexpensive at under $7 a bottle, what more could one expect! This wine is for drinking now, may improve with a year or two, but doesn’t really have the tannin or acid for aging beyond 2017.

I have tested this against my nephew, a tertiary student, and it falls into his drinkable category – so it’s better than student swill. Probably best kept for the barbecue or that bottle you bring out when everyone is too hammered to know any better!