2007 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Mirador

Malbec. Clay vineyard at 2,600 feet above sea level. Blueberries, cherries, loads of purity and length. Has all the character of Malbec without the spoofy overkill. (RH)

(all old-vines malbec) Good full ruby. Deeper and wilder on the nose than the Altamira, offering soil-driven notes of blackberry, licorice and violet. Dense and sweet but light on its feet, with a strong floral character and bright acidity cutting through the wine's density of texture. Finishes with a tannic spine that calls for patience.

The 2007 Finca Mirador was sourced from a 13-acre parcel in Medrano planted in 1921. The yields for this wine were 0.9 tons per acre with the wine aged for 15 months in new French oak. Purple-colored with a superb display of toasty new oak, lilacs, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry, on the palate it sports an elegant personality, savory flavors, underlying structure, and a lengthy, 45-second finish. It, too, will drink well from 2013 to 2022. Achaval Ferrer makes my short list of Argentina’s top producers of Malbec. My longevity estimates are conservative because these wines have no track record; my experience with wines this impeccably balanced and rich is that they will continue on for 25 years and more. Let’s hope purchasers can muster the patience to cellar some of these wines for the requisite time. I was also shown barrel samples of Achaval Ferrer’s 2008s. They look to be equally promising. Importer: TGIC Imports, Woodland Hills, CA; tel. (818) 225-5100