It’s a few years since I visited Achaval-Ferrer in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, a highlight of an Argentinean trip. Founded in 1998, Achaval-Ferrer is widely recognised as one of Argentina’s highest quality producers, particularly for its range of very expensive, single-vineyard Malbecs that cost around £100 per bottle.
With Argentinean and Italian partners in the business, there’s an argument that Achaval-Ferrer combines Old and New world thinking, and it’s an estate very much driven by terroir. They access some very old vines planted in 1910, 1921 and 1950, with low yields and minimal intervention winemaking.
All in the Mix
Though the focus is firmly on Malbec, a wine in their range marched to a different beat, a Bordeaux blend where Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made up at least 50% of the blend. I first tasted that wine, called Quimera, in the 2005 vintage. It always scored high marks from me, and showed a different face of what Achaval Ferrer could do. It’s price, however, has crept up, with the current vintage selling for £40 per bottle. So I was interested to see that a new entry-level wine in that range has just been introduced, called Quimerino.
New Arrivals
The two wines, Quimerino Blanco and Tinto, sell for £23.50 and both emphasise their eco credentials, with packaging sourced from local materials and the bottles the lightest in the market, with 70% of the glass recycled. But it is the blends that intrigue. The Blanco is made from Sauvignon Blanc and Roussane, fusing the Loire with the Rhône, but the Tinto is even more of a mash-up: it blends Pinot Noir, Malbec and Syrah which is unusual enough, but that is topped up with 12% Sauvignon Blanc.
The Wines
Achaval-Ferrer intend these to be “fresh, young, distinctive, and distinguished”, and these releases acheive that combination successfully.