Achaval Ferrer's 2018 Malbec Finca Altamira hails from Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley and was aged for 15 months in French barrels. A dark, garnet red in color, the complex nose features ripe plums with hints of jam, country herbs, violets and mint over gentle aromas from the aging process. Tobacco and cedar enhance the flavors of the terroir. In the mouth, it's full of flavor with a juicy, relaxed flow followed by late arriving tannins that team up with the freshness to lend energy and character. The 2018 is an intense but detailed red with a complex character of fruit and liqueur that ends with a bold aftertaste.

An aromatic nose of red and black fruit followed by rosemary transports you to Mendoza. There is a delicious hint of licorice. Tamed by wood aging, this elegant wine has vigorous acidity and chalky tannins that are typical from Altamira. A good balance of fruit and herbs offers cherry and blackberry mixed with bay leaf and rosemary on the palate. It finishes with cherry and chocolate.

I was expecting more contained ripeness and a fresher profile in the 2018 Malbec Finca Altamira but find very ripe fruit, lots of Mediterranean herbs and plenty of oak aromas and flavors from the 15 months the wine spent in brand-new 160- and 225-liter French oak barrels. Furthermore, the wines are fermented with selected years, which I feel might render them more similar to each other. Despite everything, this is the finest of the single-vineyard bottlings, and the signature of the place seems to be stronger, despite the high ripeness and abundant oak I found in the wine. 9,127 bottles were filled in November 2019.