ACHAVAL FERRER

Founded in 1998 by a group of Argentine and Italian friends, Achaval Ferrer is a suitably fascinating blend of both Old and New World winemaking and style.

Situated high in the Andes (and we really mean high, the ‘lowest’ of Achaval Ferrer’s single vineyards is 700 metres above sea level), the idea was to showcase Argentina’s capacity to produce world class red wine, especially as a reflection of both soil and altitude.

From primarily atop free draining gravel, ungrafted vines over a century old produce wines of outstanding concentration and naturally high acidity. As you might expect from such old vines married to a commitment to quality, yields are painstakingly and deliberately low. So low that even for their entry level offerings, the average yield is around one bottle per vine.

The results are wines that are somewhat atypical for Argentina; complexity and freshness are the words of the day over anything more bombastic. All of the ripeness you’d expect from sun drenched old vines is present, but at Achaval Ferrer that is expressed through elegance and structure rather than raw power.

GUSTAVO REARTE

After Gustavo graduated from Juan Agustin Maza University in Mendoza he decided to enrich his knowledge by traveling to New Zealand and California in order to learn and gain experience that would later lead him to being an invaluable part of the Achaval-Ferrer world.