Achaval Ferrer

Achaval Ferrer is an Argentinian wine producer based in the Uco Valley, in the famously high-altitude wine region of Mendoza. The estate is known for its high-quality wines made predominantly from Malbec, usually with the addition of other classic Bordeaux varieties.

The estate was founded in 1998, following the purchase of a vineyard in the Uco Valley. In 1999, the founders went looking for land on a north-facing slope, which was rare in Mendoza as the majority of the vineyards are on slopes facing either east or south. Achaval Ferrer decided to purchase a run-down vineyard, which became Finca Altamira. The wine made from this vineyard was the first in Argentina to be awarded five stars from Decanter Magazine and was a fundamental turning point in the estate's history. It led the company to research other sites in Mendoza with similar characteristics. The Finca Bella Vista and Finca Mirador vineyards were the result of this research, and, today, these two vineyards, alongside the original Finca Altamira form a trio of single vineyard Achaval Ferrer wines.

Achaval Ferrer uses a low intervention approach in both their vineyards and winery. No sulfites are used and the vines are low performing with deep roots, resulting in extremely low yields. In the winery there is almost no temperature control during the fermentation – nor is there any clarification fining or filtering of the wines before they are bottled.

There are three ranges in the Achaval Ferrer portfolio; the Mendoza line, the Fincas and the Quimera. The Mendoza line is a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. The Fincas are single-vineyard expressions; while the Quimera is the pinnacle from Achaval Ferrer and is a Malbec-dominant, Bordeaux blend from a variety of vineyards around Mendoza. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot also feature in the blend, with the proportions changing dependent on vintage. Everything is hand-harvested and then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.