Friends and business partners Alberto Antonini and Antonio Morescalchi first visited Mendoza in 1995 and were instantly impressed by the vineyards they discovered. Nearly three decades later, the estate they founded, Altos Las Hormigas, has gone from being a youthful dream to one of the country’s leading producers.

Alberto and Antonio work very closely with soil mapping expert Pedro Parra to identify the best vineyard sites to grow their grapes. As a result, they have discovered outstanding sites across Mendoza, many certified organic, and aim to show the distinct character of each through their wines. From Luján de Cuyo, they obtain fine tannins, concentration and a dark purple colour, whereas the calcareous, high-elevation sites of Vistaflores, Altamira and Gualtallary each bring distinctive perfumes and mouth-filling textures.

In 2020, Federico Gambetta was appointed winemaker, and by 2021, he was producing 100-point wines, propelling this highly respected winery into a new era. A combination of biodynamic farming, minimal intervention in the winery, as well as Alberto and Antonio’s relentless experimentation and desire to produce Argentina's best wines, has given Altos its reputation as one of the country’s leading Malbec specialists.

“The project's centerpiece is the Jardin de Altamira site, which was planted only in 2016 but has already earned a well-deserved reputation as a pinnacle expression of Altamira, represented in all its pure, floral and weightlessly intense glory in the Los Amantes and Meteora bottlings” - Matthew Luczy, Robertparker.com

2024 VINTAGE REPORT

The 2024 growing season was shaped by alternating cool and warm periods, producing wines with the tension, freshness, and vibrancy typical of a cooler vintage. A cold spring, marked by several Zonda wind events and frost, slowed vine development and reduced fruit set and canopy growth. In contrast, the three weeks leading up to harvest brought an intense heat wave, with temperatures approaching 40°C and limited diurnal variation. Sugar accumulation accelerated, while phenolic ripening progressed more slowly, allowing the grapes to retain bright natural acidity. Ripening patterns differed significantly between Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, requiring careful, plot-by-plot harvest decisions. The result is a vintage defined by freshness, precision, and a strong expression of site.

JARDIN DE HORMIGAS ‘LOS AMANTES’ MALBEC 2024 - £350 In Bond per 6x75

98 Points - “One of the best reds in South America” - Tim Atkin MW, Argentina Report 2026

The grapes come from a small, one-hectare plot in the southern section of the Jardín Altamira vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. Planted at 1,200 metres above sea level, the vineyard features a diverse range of alluvial soil profiles shaped by ancient river currents. The topsoil is rich in silt with dissolved limestone, while the subsoil contains large granite stones. The vineyard is certified organic, with a strong emphasis on sustainable farming and biodiversity.

The wine was fermented in concrete vats over 20 days using 5% whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. Fermentation temperatures were maintained at 21°C to preserve the purity of the fruit. The wine was then aged for 12 months in 3,500-litre, untoasted French oak foudres, gently filtered before bottling, and matured for a further 12 months in bottle before release.

“So much scented complexity. Aromas of fresh, sweet blueberries, grapefruit, red berries, violets, wild herbs and vivid lavender. Tannins are tight but also chiseled and al dente, with a medium to full body and a long but delicate finish. Already delicious, but can age for years”

98 Points - Zekun Shuai, June 2026, JamesSuckling.com

“Back after a break in 2023, Los Amantes has reconfirmed its standing as one of the best reds in South America under the magic wand of Federico Gambetta and Alberto Antonini. Sourced from a young, one-hectare parcel in Paraje Altamira, it sits at the junction between Malbec and Pinot Noir, with ethereal scents of jarilla and rose petal, plum, redcurrant and black cherry flavours, a frisson of chalky minerality and some underlying grip and tension. 2027-35”

98 Points – Tim Atkin MW, Argentina Report 2026, TimAtkin.com

“The centerpiece bottling in the Alto Las Hormigas range is the 2024 Jardín de Hormigas Los Amantes, which derives from silty limestone soils with significant calcareous content and shallower topsoils than its Meteora counterpart. Fermented with a small portion of whole bunches and matured in botti for 15 months, it presents an altogether more sophisticated and serious expression of the site, while retaining the racy, sleek and tensile core that defines the house style. The bouquet is textbook Altamira in its visceral representation of violets, lavender, lilacs and wet stones, introducing a multifaceted mouthfeel that blends lacy refinement, weightless density and a sense of understatement that carries through a resonant, nuanced finish. Coursing throughout the wine is an elevated, crystalline purity that, while a hallmark of the range, reaches its apex here”

97 Points – Matthew Luczy, August 2026, Robertparker.com

Shipping in December 2026