Mendoza Wine Tour: Achaval Ferrer
Our first stop on our first day of Mendoza wine tasting, Achaval Ferrer, was breathtaking! Light brick walls, massive wooden doors and dark wood everywhere.
We did a brief tour of the winery, the highlight of which was the great suggestion of removing the foil from any bottle you wish to cellar for at least several years so you can see if there are problems with the cork (and drink it before it goes bad) and let the wine breathe better. Then, we did our tasting outside. Ahhhhh.
The first thing we tasted was a 2011 Malbec (~$20), typical of local Mendoza preferences, and were shocked by the bright cherry notes. And I don’t mean that vague fruit flavor that most of us can detect in our wines. I mean cherry. Almost like dessert cherry, but not sweet. I’ve never tasted a Malbec like that in the US, and that was the moment I knew this trip was going to live up to my hopes.
New wines. Great fall weather. And always within view of the amazing Andes mountains.
The second wine was their Quimera (~$50), a beautiful 2009 blend of 4 Malbecs. Quite tasty, better with food, and I can only imagine how much better with age.
Our last tasting was of Finca Altamira (~$80), a single vineyard Malbec from the Uco Valley. A bold highly tannic wine. Lovely, but not worth the price.
Our guide then offered us a taste of their “Dolceâ€, an unfortified dessert wine from Malbec grapes. I liked how light it was, not syrupy at all, but it didn’t have enough flavor to offset the sweetness.
This winery offered one of the best shipping deals of any winery in the area. For only $30 you could have up to 6 bottles shipped as opposed to the $15-20 a bottle others charged. They also offered a 20-30% discount on a mixed case.
As we were making up on mind on what, if anything, to buy, we were able to sample their Olio olive oil. I fell in love with their naturally peppery version. Amazing.
Other Lujan de Cuyo Valley Tastings:
Belasco de Boquedano
Alta Vista
Other Uco Valley Tastings:
Salentein
Andeluna Cellars
Bodega Azul
Read about the trip: Mendoza Trip Report #6: Day 1 of Wine Tastings
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Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.
