2013 Achaval Ferrer Quimera Mendoza Argentina

Sourced from a diversity of places in the province of Mendoza, the 2013 Quimera is a blend of different red grapes, a mixture that is more or less constant across vintages, 50% Malbec, 24% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine matures in brand new French oak barrels, but in 2013 the change is about the size of the barrels that was the result of an internal investigation they have been conducting in the winery. In 2011 they started experimenting with different sizes but from the same cooper. They bought larger and smaller barrels and they were surprised that smaller barrels gave more expressive fruit, so they started using 160-liter oak barrels. I had never heard this before, and in fact Santiago Achaval tells me this has not worked with his wines from California, but in Achaval-Ferrer half of the barrels are now 160-liter! The barrels work well up to three uses, and he thinks it’s because the juicy wines from Mendoza have a stronger demand for aeration and the wine benefits from a higher ratio of wood-to-wine because of how much oxygen the wine demands. The nose has no trace of wood, and it’s eminently floral. The palate has electric acidity, acid strawberries, it makes you salivate, makes you long for the next sip. Simply delicious. The best Quimera I’ve tasted. The wine will not be released until March 2016. 60,000 bottles were produced. Bottled in September 2014.