2019 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico, Mendoza, Argentina (750ml)

Their bread-and-butter red 2019 Malbec Clásico wants to show, through an early harvest and an élevage without oak, that not all Malbec from Mendoza is jammy. 2019 was much warmer than 2018, and the grapes developed full flavors like they haven't seen for years. It's mostly grapes from Luján de Cuyo and a small percentage from the Valle de Uco, mostly from their estate vineyards, from parts with limestone in the soils. The hand-harvested grapes fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts, and the wine matured in concrete vats for nine months. It's floral and expressive, clean and varietal, juicy, fruit-driven and very easy to drink.