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 ‘METEORA’ MALBEC 2024 - £125 In Bond per 6x75

96 Points - “Expressive but also deep and serious” - Zekun Shuai, JamesSuckling.com

The grapes come exclusively from Plots 7 and 12 of the Jardín de Hormigas vineyard in Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. Planted at 1,200 metres above sea level, the vineyard is certified organic and managed according to regenerative principles, with a strong focus on biodiversity. Following the philosophy of Alan York, the vineyard is viewed as an ecosystem, where grapes are the expression of the whole rather than of the vine alone.

The wine was fermented in concrete vats using indigenous yeasts and 30% whole clusters, with temperatures maintained at 20°C to preserve freshness and purity. It was aged in concrete for 15 months, then matured in bottle prior to release, allowing the wine to integrate and harmonise the gentle oxidative notes characteristic of warm, sunny climates.

“Expressive but also deep and serious, with aromas of violets, blueberries, dark cherries and touches of savory mountain herbs and minerals. Juicy and almost full-bodied, with tension, fine-grained tannins and a long and nicely chewy finish. A blend of two parcels in the Jardin de Hormigas. Lots of harmony already, but better from 2027”

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

“Considering its incredibly approachable price point and its pitch-perfect rendering of Paraje Altamira, the 2024 Jardín de Hormigas Meteora is almost flabbergasting. The parcel that supplies this bottling varies with each vintage, but it is based on silt and layers of limestone, with more topsoil than the parcels supplying the Los Amantes. Immediate, nuanced and radiantly floral on the nose from the first pour, it captures a racier, sleeker and generally prettier side of the property with a less tenacious structure than its stablemate. The mouthfeel oozes finesse and elegance as it moves into a high-toned yet expansive finish that sits squarely in the top of the mouth rather than the depth of the Los Amantes, making for an electric yet sophisticated example of the region that should age beautifully”

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

“Meteora uses Malbec grapes from two comparatively young parcels on different soil types within the bodega’s Jardín de Hormigas property in Paraje Altamira. Fermented and aged in concrete, it has impressive focus, chalky freshness and depth, with layers of plum, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, racy acidity and graceful tannins”

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

Shipping in December 2026