2015 Finca Mirador Malbec
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Tasting notes
Achaval-Ferrer was sold in 2011 to SPI Group (makers of Stolichnaya). This is from one of their older vineyards, planted in 1921 at 700 m. Very naughty heavy bottle. First bottle oxidised. Blackish crimson – impenetrable! Second bottle: muted nose suggest aeration would be a good idea. So dense it hardly has any nose. Nice texture but difficult to extract flavour at the moment. I’d like more freshness in the fruit. Older than most wines in this selection but still it gives the impression that it could give more. A bit heavy. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(14.8% alcohol; from heavier soils): Bright medium ruby. Pungent, medicinal aromas of blueberry, blackberry, espresso and mint complicated by mineral and leather nuances. Plush, rich and deep, communicating an almost chocolatey ripeness to its slightly medicinal flavors of dark berries and leather. The most massive of these single-vineyard wines and also the mostly obviously alcoholic in its slight warmth. Boasts excellent breadth and well-buffered tannins but can't quite match the Altamira or Bella Vista for class or inner-mouth energy. This large-scaled, slightly wild wine has plenty of tannins for cellaring.
I was perplexed at the behavior of the 2015 Malbec Finca Mirador, so I tasted a second bottle straight away, which also showed a lack of the finesse and elegance I was expecting from the wines from Achaval Ferrer. There were earthy notes intermixed with berry and spicy aromas and a palate with grainy, astringent tannins and certainly a rustic profile. It left me scratching my head. 9,800 bottles were filled in November 2016.
(14.8% alcohol; from heavier soils): Bright medium ruby. Pungent, medicinal aromas of blueberry, blackberry, espresso and mint complicated by mineral and leather nuances. Plush, rich and deep, communicating an almost chocolatey ripeness to its slightly medicinal flavors of dark berries and leather. The most massive of these single-vineyard wines and also the mostly obviously alcoholic in its slight warmth. Boasts excellent breadth and well-buffered tannins but can't quite match the Altamira or Bella Vista for class or inner-mouth energy. This large-scaled, slightly wild wine has plenty of tannins for cellaring.