The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Wine Description
The Story
Quimera is a blend, the name of which evokes the idea behind the wine – the search for ultimate perfection – in a wine where the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. The Quimera vineyards are situated between 750 and 1,100m above sea level, producing Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Unusually, blending takes place early on in the winemaking process. Most producers keep ingredients separate for as long as possible to see how they develop, however at Achaval-Ferrer Roberto Cipresso and the rest of the team are adamant about early blending. The fermented old vine fruit of Quimera is immediately racked into barrels, 95% French oak and 5% American.
This early assimilation aims to produce a really well-integrated, marriage of fruit which may well account for the sleek, layered complexity which habitually characterises Quimera. The wine is then aged for twelve months in oak, 40% of which is new, with the balance one year old. The vineyard blend here is 38% Malbec, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Yields are restricted at around 18hl/ha and the wine is neither fined nor filtered. The combination of old vine fruit and tempered production contribute a wonderful intensity and concentration in the finished wine, though the high altitude ensures a vitality and freshness.