Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador Malbec 2014
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pristine medium ruby. Layers of spice with aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate and espresso-tobacco. Displaying a savory character with graphite, leather, and pepper. Herbs and spices add personality. Finishes with chewy elegant tannins. Endless possibilities in the cellar.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Big aromas of blackberry, leather, turned earth and white mushroom set up a bright, layered palate with fresh acidity at its core. Floral, exotic red-berry flavors are spicy and in sync with each other. A crisp, peppery finish with toasty oak ensures that this single-vineyard Malbec is built to last
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It feels like 2014 is a great vintage for Finca Mirador, as seen in the 2014 Malbec Finca Mirador, which usually suffers in the comparison with its siblings in early tastings, because it tends to have a more backward personality. It wears the name of a plot of Malbec in Medrano planted with old vines, which tends to be the warmest of their estate vineyards. It feels like the cooler 2014 climate compensated the heat of the place nicely, and the wine comes through as fresh. In Medrano the soils are quite heavy, so you have to take care to get healthy grapes, and it feels like the low yields avoided the problems with the summer rains; the wine is very clean. These high-end wines are always aged in new French oak.
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Decanter
Uplifting and inviting aromas of dark cherries and black pepper; these flow into juicy black fruits in the mouth twinned with a complex graphite and stony edge. This is all underpinned by a grippy finish and beautiful freshness.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant style, with supple flavors of cherry pie and plum tart that blend easily. Juniper berry notes extend on the ripe finish, offering plenty of Asian spice details
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Founded in 1998, Achaval-Ferrer is a team of friends who dream about great wines. Achaval-Ferrer is also a collection of old vineyards in beautiful places. They are committed to the production of wines that are expressive of their terroir. They are a small winery because this is the key to top quality. Low yields allow the vineyards to express their personality in the grapes. Low intervention winemaking allows the grapes to fully express their vineyard in the bottle. Each of their wines is a different expresson of Malbec: The Mendoza Malbec is about varietal tipicity. Their Quimera blend is about Malbec as the key to complexity and balance. And their Fincas (Single Vineyards) are about how Malbec expresses different soils and microclimates.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.