Argentina’s Paraje Altamira is one of the most famed wine regions in South America, renowned for its silky and seductive Malbec wines. Find out why in our ultimate guide to the wines and wine region of Paraje Altamira GI.
Guide to Paraje Altamira GI
Notable producers in Paraje Altamira GI
Quick guide to Paraje Altamira GI
Best wines to try from Paraje Altamira GI
Map of San Carlos, Uco Valley
One of the most renowned sub-regions of both the Uco Valley and Argentina, Altamira’s new frontier of stony soils with a layer of calcium carbonate has been driving winemakers wild in recent years. But this is also a historical region of the Uco Valley, which has many vines that are over 100 years old and are often still in the hands of third and fourth generations of the same families.
Guide to Paraje Altamira GI wine region
The region has been planted since before the 20th century and many hundred-old vineyard estates still remain, often ploughed by horse as they were in yesteryear. In fact, some of the wines I most enjoy from Altamira are from these old Malbec and Semillon vines, in particular, which were often interplanted together.
Alongside these old vines and grower families are large, modern investments from wineries who have come to the region for its distinctive Malbec — renowned for its floral and dark fruit aromas, silky tannins, elegant finesse and fresh acidity. Producers put the character of Altamira Malbec down to the stony soils layered with a crust of calcium carbonate deposits and the cooler climate, especially in the higher parts. This particular character is the reason why producers felt it warranted its own GI and appellation status, beyond the La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos districts and GIs it spans. So they went on to create Paraje Altamira GI — the first appellation of its kind in Argentina.
