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ARGENTINEAN WINES
 Not many Americans think of Argentina as a large wine
producing country, but it has a very long history of making "vino" and there are
nearly half a million acres of vineyards down there!
While Chilean wines have become popular here, largely due to low prices, Argentina remains
relatively unknown. This anonymity means, at least for the time being, some fertile
grounds for value-conscious consumers.
The first vines went into Argentina's soil, cuttings being brought from Spain, around the
middle of the 1500s. An influx of Italian and Spanish helped promote the growth of
vineyards in Argentina. In 1853 the first agricultural school was set up and its
director, a Frenchman, introduced French grape varieties and new viticultural techniques.
A real turning point was in the 1880s, seeing the construction of waterways,
bringing much-needed water to the deserts of Argentina and allowing for agriculture in
previously arid lands.
There are four major wine regions in Argentina: Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja (nothing to do
with Spain's region of the same name) and Rio Negro. By far the most important, at
least presently, is Mendoza. This region produces something like 70% of the wine in
Argentina.
There has been much foreign investment in Argentina. You'll find
some wineries owned by British, French, Chilean, Swiss, Dutch, Spanish and
Portuguese firms. This is a good sign, as it helps open the doors to new
techniques, as well as opening the minds of local winemakers.
We don't have very many Argentinean wines. The wines we do stock are quite good and
represent some good values. Ten dollars goes much farther in Argentina than in
California! For ten bucks you can stop by and take home a bottle of wine. In
the Napa Valley, ten dollars might get you in the front door at some winery and an ounce
of somebody's precious Cabernet Sauvignon!
Now we are seeing a wave of expensive, supposedly deluxe wines from many
producers. We have tasted quite a number of these and have to admit many
wines are rather nice. But we ask ourselves if we would pay $40-$50 for
these wines and most of the time the answer is "no."
Perhaps the most interesting and expensive wine we've tasted is called
"Cheval des Andes" and is made under the watchful eyes of the Bordeaux
firm of Château Cheval Blanc. Their wine is costly but it is one which
delivers all it promises and a more.
Some Argentinean wines we like:
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SALENTEIN
 The
Salentein winery has an American connection via the Dutch. The winery
is owned by Meindert Pon, a fellow whose father ran Volkswagen and Porsche
dealerships in the Netherlands. His brother Ben owns a winery here in
California's Carmel Valley...Bernardus.
Meindert purchased the Salentein vineyards a few years ago and recently
constructed a state-of-the-art winemaking facility. We are always wary
when marketing brochures speak more about the building or monument that's
been erected than about the wines they're making. But we included a
Salentein Cabernet in a recent blind tasting and the wine fared quite
nicely, especially considering it was pitted against wines cost two to five
times its modest price!
The vineyards of Salentein are in the Mendoza valley at a very high
elevation. You'll find the property comprising three vineyard
sites, ranging from 3400 feet to about 5500 feet in elevation. The
winemaking facility features four galleries with two levels for each
cellar. These are joined at a central vinification room.
Such a monument is nice, I suppose, but it really only gets
our attention if they're making good wines.
The Salentein Cabernet Sauvignon is a lovely bottle. It's perhaps
a bit understated, seemingly made more for the European palate than today's
over-the-top American wine drinker. The wine is 100% Cabernet and was
matured for about 14 months in French oak before being set aside for a bit
of maturation in the bottle. It's a smooth and rather elegant
Cabernet, drinkable now and having a few years of cellaring potential.
Malbec from this property is also a good, typical rendition. Maybe a bit
"old fashioned" compared to the currently fashionable, big, dark,
muscle-bound bottles one sees frequently.
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Currently in stock: Salentein Cabernet
Sauvignon (list $25) Sold Out Presently
SALENTEIN Malbec (list $20) Sale $14.99
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CRIOS (Susana Balbo, winemaker)
 Though I've tasted some nice wines made by Susana Balbo, I can't say I'm
willing to spend the dollars it takes to acquire her main label wines.
I suppose it's a matter of being cheap, or, at least, expecting to receive
"good value" for my hard-earned cash.
I did taste her more modestly-priced wines, which are sold under the label
"Crios" (a Spanish word for off-spring). We have her
Torrontes in stock and a dynamite Malbec.
Torrontés is a grape variety transplanted from Spain many
generations ago. It is a very interesting white grape variety and it's
thought to be related to Malvasia. If you take a sniff of Crios' Torrontés
wine, you'll probably see the similarities. The fragrance
is spicy and floral...I find it reminiscent of some fine Italian
Muller-Thurgau wines. This is dry, light, flavorful and best consumed
in its youth. The 2008 seems to be the most intensely fragrant example
we've had, so far. It is absolutely stellar.
We included her higher tier Susana Balbo Malbec in a recent blind-tasting
and I was delighted with this wine. Deep in color and teeming with
dark fruit, the wine also had a nice bit of oak. Beautifully balanced
and immediately drinkable, this is delicious!
- Currently in stock: CRIOS 2008 TORRONTÉS $12.99
SUSANA BALBO 2006 MALBEC $27.99
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MASI
 You may be
wondering how someone would use the name of a famous Veronese vintner for
wine produced in Argentina.
It's not "someone," but the same Italian family, the Boscaini clan
who make some splendid Amarone and Valpolicella wines.
Rather than produce the same old, same old, they have brought the brilliant
notion of combining New World and Old World winemaking to create something
totally unique.
Of course, Argentina is famed for its Malbec wines. And the Masi name
is famous for Amarone, a red wine made of grapes that are dried to intensify the
resulting wine. Masi, further, came up with a process which is called
"ripasso," where they incorporate the skins of the Amarone back into a
tank of Valpolicella wine. That wine is called "Campofiorin" and
it's a good example of this ripasso technique. Masi copyrighted the term
"ripasso" and other Venetian vintners who make a similar wine are
obliged to pay a royalty if they use that term on their labels.
Masi is making a very interesting wine called Passo Doble. This is an
unusual process. The Malbec is fermented in stainless steel tanks and as
it's finishing its fermentation, they add some lightly dried Corvina grapes
(this is a variety commonly used in the Veneto for Valpolicella) and the
fermentation proceeds for an extended time. The resulting wine is then
matured for a bit less than a year in small oak barrels, more for development
than to give it wood fragrances or flavors.
We have the 2007 in the shop presently. It is not a wine for those looking
for the big, flashy, muscular Malbec wine that's popular with wine
critics. This is a more elegant wine and it's a bit subtle if you're
looking for "gobs of fruit" or a forest full of oak.
We like the red fruits, baked cherries and hint of cola on the nose and
palate. The wine is medium-bodied and not particularly tannic or
aggressive. You can pair it with a range of foods, from a savory pork
roast to tomato-sauced pastas to grilled or roasted red meats.
- Currently in stock: MASI 2007 "Passo Doble" $18.99
- FAMILIA
ZUCCARDI'S "VIDA ORGANICA"
 The
Zuccardi family has been living in Argentina since the late 1800s, but it's
only relatively recently that they've been making wine.
The family has been well-known for its irrigation company, providing water
resources for grape and other fruit growers. They have been able to
help turn arid land into viable farming soil. In 1963 Don Alberto
Zuccardi purchased some vineyard land not too far from the city of
Mendoza. He did this mainly to demonstrate the efficiencies of his
irrigation systems. Well, one thing led to another and today the
Zuccardi family has about 170 hectares of vines.
And they're not bound to tradition, so they cultivate all sorts of unusual
grape varieties. The Zuccardi's were the first to plant Viognier in
Argentina and even have a bit of Zinfandel growing there!
In the late 1990's the family has been working on converting its vineyards
towards organic farming. This is something we support, of
course, but, even more importantly, we're looking for good quality
first. If a wine happens to be organically farmed, that's even
better.
We bought some bottles of the Zuccardi wines. They have a line called
Vida Organica. The current vintage of Torrontes is delightful!
It's dry and extremely aromatic.
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- Currently available: Vida Organica "Torrontés" $7.49
By Special order:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chardonnay
Malbec
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- We also have a dynamite dessert wine from Zuccardi's "Santa
Julia" label. The wine is called "TARDIO" and is a
fantastically aromatic, fruity, floral wine costing all of $11.99 for a 375ml
bottle. Don't miss it. Very
fresh and floral.
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BODEGAS WEINERT
 The
Weinert family started this estate in the mid-1970s and it's been a
highly-regarded winery since its first wines were released.
They've not gained much traction in the U.S. market as they routinely change
importers every couple of years.
The wines are more a traditional style, rather than being the big, fruit and
oak bombs which are so popular today. This is "old fashioned"
winemaking and represents an adherence to tradition.
We currently have a blended red called "Cavas de Weinert," a blend
of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. The 2000 vintage is
available and it's a medium-bodied red wine. Oak is not a major part
of this wine and it shows dusty notes and a bit of red fruit. The
tannins are modest, so this may be consumed now or held for several years.
Currently in stock: 2000 Cavas de Weinert $24.99-
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JOFFRE
 R.J.
Viñedos is the name of the Joffre family winery in Argentina's Mendoza Valley.
Ral Joffre is new to the wine business, but he's driven to produce great
wines. With his four daughters, two of whom are vice-presidents in the
company (the other two are students in school, I gather), he's assembled a
capable team.
We tasted a fantastically good Reserve level Merlot from this estate.
We don't usually get too excited about Merlot as we tend to prefer Cabernets
and Malbecs from Argentina. If you can imagine the typical California
Merlot and the elevated quality of, say, Duckhorn's Merlots, then you will
have an idea of the quality of this firm's wine.
It's a 2003 vintage. The wine was matured for a bit more than a year
in new French oak barrels. The wine sports deep black fruit notes...I
detected plums and blackberries with a mild cherry tone. There's ample
oak, but enough fruit so the wood is not the whole show here. It's
drinkable now, especially with grilled or roasted meats. Showy
wine. -
- Currently in stock: 2003 JOFFRE Reserva Merlot Sale $29.99
 BODEGA LURTON
The Lurton boys hail from Bordeaux, where their family owns Chateau Bonnet,
Chateau Dauzac, Chateau La Louviere and several others. Striking out on their own,
they make wine in Spain, Argentina and Uruguay, as well as in other areas of France.
Their Argentina project is a joint effort with a large firm called ESCORIHUELA. Of all the wines we've sampled of this winery, the
Pinot Gris stands out.
Nobody tasting this wine pegs it as a seven buck bottle! It's rather dry
and has a floral note not unlike a good Pinot Gris from Alsace. It's
wonderful.
The new Torrontes from Lurton is delicious. Very aromatic and fruity...it
has a bit of sweetness, too And inexpensive.
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Currently available: 2007 Pinot Gris SALE $7.99
2007 Torrontes $6.49
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- CHEVAL DES ANDES
 The
"Cheval" here is a reference to the famous Bordeaux estate in St.
Emilion called "Cheval Blanc."
The Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy group owns a sparkling wine facility in
Argentina and a table wine place called Terrazas des Andes. Pierre
Lurton, who's the director at Château d'Yquem and Cheval Blanc, was
intrigued by the potential for good wine in Argentina, so he's teamed with a
local enologist and they've embarked on a project of truly deluxe quality
red wine.
We're skeptical about many of these collaborative endeavors, finding most to
be merely a way to gussy up some decent wine with an association of famous
wine people in hopes consumers will fork over a king's ransom. Look at
the Mondavi's "Luce" project in Tuscany or Antinori's Washington
State "Col Solare" wine for examples of this.
But after tasting the 2002 Cheval des Andes in blind-tastings and, even better,
with dinner, we can say this wine delivers!
The 2005 is an elegant and refined bottle. It's drinkable now and we
expect it will blossom and develop additionally with time.
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- Currently in stock: 2005 Cheval des Andes $69.99
MELIPAL
 The
Melipal winery is located about 20 minutes outside the city of
Mendoza. They have a couple of major vineyard parcels with some rather
old plantings of Malbec.
We tasted their wines and found them to be really good...very stylish.
In researching information about the winery, it seems no wonder why we liked
these. Italian winemaker Alberto Antonini is a consultant for this
producer.
We've tasted a couple of delightful Malbec wines...
The "regular" bottling is from the 2006 vintage. The
vineyards are 80 years old, so they don't produce a huge crop of
fruit. The wine is vinified to be drinkable rather early.
It spends about half a year in American oak, so there's a nice woodsy tone
to go with the blackberryish fruit.
- Currently in stock: 2006 MELIPAL Mendoza Malbec $17.99
- TRAPICHE
 Trapiche is
a very large Argentinean winery, still family owned and operated. Having made such
"normal" quality wines for years, it's nice to know they are striving to improve
their quality. They've hired some foreign help in order to improve their viticulture
as well as their cellar practices. We've got a rather pleasant, but simple,
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Trapiche.
The star of their line-up is a
special Bordeaux-styled red wine called "Medalla Real," a limited-production,
lavishly oaked red based on Cabernet Sauvignon. It stands out in any tasting of
South American red wines. But it is now not available presently....
Their famous Fond de Cave label has been discontinued in favor of a name
they feel might more easily attract American wine drinkers. Broquel is
the new label, but South Americans living in the U.S. are not likely to
embrace this new package.
- Currently available: Trapiche Chardonnay $7.99
Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon $6.99
- NAVARRO CORREAS
 Regarded as a producer of premium and special quality wines, this winery launched a
special artist label series for its "Coleccion Privada" Cabernet
Sauvignon. The wine used to come in a curious frosted black
bottle. They've changed it to a normal bottle (see the depiction to
the left).
The wine, from the 2003 vintage, is a medium-bodied,
berryish Cabernet with a touch of cedary oak. It's not particularly
complex, but it is nice with some grilled red meats.
- Currently available: 2003 Navarro Correas Cabernet $13.49
- CATENA (Bodegas Esmeralda)
 The Catena family came to Argentina from Italy and planted their first vineyards around
the turn of the 20th century. They make boat-loads of wines, but it was only after
one of the younger generations of Catena's came to study at U.C. Davis in California that
things got to a serious level of international quality. They hired Paul Hobbs, who
used to be at the University of Wine at Robert Mondavi (the Oakville campus) and then at
Simi.
Hobbs helped elevate the quality and brought a more international style (like
new oak barrels) and an emphasis on starting with higher quality grapes. The first
Catena-labeled Chardonnay and Cabernet wines were extraordinary. My impression is
that they've either hit a bump in the road or have focused on attracting a market
different from the original plan.
Chardonnay the past couple of years seem slightly
sweet. The wine we have in the shop presently is big, oaky and buttery, but
with a touch of sweetness. The local importer claims the sweetness is
due to a wild yeast fermentation. Hard to believe.
And Mr. Hobbs
is no longer affiliated with Catena.
 2005
CATENA "Alta" CHARDONNAY
This is their no-holds-barred Chardonnay. It's entirely
barrel-fermented using native yeasts and it undergoes a full malolactic fermentation,
making it quite buttery and creamy. It's as showy a Chardonnay as we have
seen from Argentina. It is matured in a high percentage of new oak, giving
it a toasty character and it spends a fair bit of time on the lees, adding
additional smokiness.
2005 CHARDONNAY
Creamy, mildly buttery and lightly vanillin, the 2005 comes from several
vineyard sites. The wine offers elements familiar to those who drink
California Chardonnays, as it shows some tropical fruit aromas along with appley
tones and a touch of minerality. It does not strike me as bone dry, but
perhaps low acidity gives one this impression.
2005 MALBEC
 Some
earlier vintages struck as as being rather meaty and leathery on the nose and
palate. This new vintage seems brighter, cleaner and showing more
blackberry and dark fruit tones.
We like it quite a bit, as it's a good example of Malbec. You can even
compare it to some lovely French wines from the region of Cahors, a European
bastion of Malbec.
The wine was matured in French and American oak, mostly the former. The
wood is merely a spice tone in this wine. If you're firing up the grill
and preparing steak or lamb, this is a good choice. The wine probably can
be cellared for a few years, but it's drinkable now.
2004 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 This
wine is made entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon. Like their Malbec, this is matured
in both French and American oak barrels. We find the fragrance to show
notes of cassis and red fruits such as plums. We find a note of cola and
tea here, too. The oak seems hidden in the background.
Got steak?
- Currently available: 2005 Catena Chardonnay $16.99
2005 Catena Malbec $19.99
2005 Catena "Alta" Chardonnay $29.99
2004 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon $18.99
- ALAMOS
 Another
Catena family wine is this Alamos Chardonnay.
The juice is cold fermented for about a month and a half and then the wine
is matured in oak for five months. The resulting wine is unusually
stylish and one of the best buys in Chardonnay be it California, Australia,
Europe or South America.
A customer recently had us assemble a set of premium Chardonnays for a
tasting event. He wanted something inexpensive for the tasting as a
ringer and we included this wine. He told us it was the second place
wine, finishing behind a $30 California Chardonnay and ahead of the French
white Burgundy, the Tuscan and South African wine and a couple of others
(averaging $25 in price). We're not surprised.
Currently in stock: 2007 Alamos Chardonnay $9.99
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- NORTON
 Founded in 1895 by an English railway engineer, Bodega Norton is today owned by Gernot
Langes-Swarovski, a fellow who is from Austria. His son runs this winery and their
wines seem mostly destined for the local Argentine market.
We've had some pleasant wines from this firm and a couple of really odd
bottles. I tasted through their line-up in the Fall of 2006 and
found but one wine of interest, a Bordeaux-styled blend called
"Privada." It's from the 2004 vintage and is a
Cabernet-based red with Malbec and Merlot. Medium-full on the palate,
this shows nice woodsy, cedary notes from its maturation in French oak for
nearly a year and a half. The 2004 is drinkable now and should soften
a bit with additional time in the bottle. It's perfectly drinkable
now, though, especially with grilled or roasted meats.
- Currently available: 2004 PRIVADA $18.99
We have access to:
Cabernet Sauvignon (regular and reserve)
Malbec (regular & reserve)
Sangiovese
Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah/Cabernet blend Reserve
- ZOLO
(Fincas Patagnicas)
 The
Ortiz family owns this enterprise and we've become fans of their "Zolo"
label.
In America we say something about "knocking your socks
off..." In Argentina, they must have a similar expression except
you'd better be wearing a hat.
We have two wines, presently, of the Zolo label. One will knock your
socks off and the other will knock one sock off.
Especially fine is their Torrontes wine. It's a 2007 vintage white
wine and you can't get much more aroma in a bottle of wine. It's
hugely fragrant, along the lines of a Muscat, but slightly more
well-mannered. It's floral in the manner of jasmine,
perhaps and fruity in the fashion of a ripe peach. The wine is rather
dry on the palate and very fresh. It's a delicious cocktail white and
works well with chicken or seafood with citrus or saffron.
It will knock both socks off your feet.
The Bonarda might knock one sock off. It's a grape from Northern Italy
and it's rather widely-planted in Argentina. The Zolo wine is a nice
rendition, showing berryish fruit aromas in a soft, smooth, medium-bodied
red wine. It's a lovely ten-buck red wine and will pair well with
white or red meats.
Currently in stock: 2007 ZOLO TORRONTES Sale $9.99
2005 ZOLO BONARDA Sale $9.99-
ALTOCEDRO The
owner of this small estate is of Lebanese heritage, explaining the choice of
a winery name with a reference to cedar. The country's flag depicts a
cedar tree and it's a symbol of pride amongst Lebanese.
Karim Mussi Saffie has a few acres in the La Consulta region of the
Mendoza appellation. He's a fan of sustainable agricultural practices
and he restricts the yields in his vineyards in an effort to produce wines
of balance and intensity.
We found his 2004 Reserva bottling of Malbec to be a very good wine.
It's from a couple of old vineyard parcels, one plot being 67 years of age
and the other is 49 years old. The wine was matured for 15 months in
French oak and bottled without filtration.
This is fairly dark in color, with a lovely black fruit fragrance and a hint
of oak. It's medium to full bodied and only mildly tannic.
Paired with red meats, this will be rather supple and silky on the
palate.
Currently in stock: 2004 ALTOCEDRO Reserva Malbec $23.99
(last bottle)-
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OTHER BRANDS AVAILABLE TO US BY SPECIAL ORDER:
Subject to Availability
Prices noted are approximate and subject to change at the whim of the
producer, importer or distributor . We routinely offer our customers
pricing based upon the best price offered by the distributor.
ALFREDO ROCA
Pinot Noir
ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS
Malbec
Malbec Reserva
AMANCAYA (A Rothschild-Catena wine)
Malbec/Cabernet
ASTICA
Malbec- Cabernet
Chardonnay
Shiraz
COLONIA
Bonarda
HIGH NOTE
Malbec Elevated
LAYER CAKE
Malbec
MICHEL TORINO
Torrontes
Tannat
SANTA ANA
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet/Merlot blend
Chardonnay
Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc blend
Merlot
Malbec
BALBI
Cabernet Reserve
Malbec
Syrah
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- NOEMIA
Malbec
QUARA
Malbec
BROQUEL ($15-$17)
Chardonnay
Cabernet
Malbec
CARO
Cabernet/Malbec blend
EL PORTILLO
Cabernet
Malbec
Merlot
Sauvignon Blanc
Shiraz
Tempranillo
GASCON
Malbec
Viognier
Syrah
SANTA JULIA
Cabernet
Chardonnay
Malbec
Merlot
Torrontes
Viognier
BENMARCO
Malbec
Cabernet Sauvignon
VMS
Expressivo
BUDINI
Cabernet Sauvignon
Malbec
Chardonnay
GUSTO
Malbec
LA POSTA DEL VINATERO
Bonarda Armando
Malbec Paulucci
Malbec Pizzella
LUCA
2005 Chardonnay ($31)
2002 Beso de Dante (Cabernet/Malbec blend) ($52)
2005 Pinot Noir ($31)
2004 Syrah ($31)
2005 Malbec ($35)
MENDEL
Malbec
Unus
MIL PIEDRAS
Tempranillo
Malbec
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sangiovese
SAN TELMO ($7.50-$9)
Cabernet
Malbec
Shiraz
SEPTIMA ($9-$11)
Cabernet
Cabernet/Malbec Blend
Malbec
Tempranillo
Syrah/Tempranillo Blend
SUSANA BALBO
Cabernet ($28)
TAMARI
Malbec Reserva
TEMPUS ALBA
Preludio Tempranillo- Preludio Cabernet
Preludio Syrah
Preludio Malbec
TERRAZAS
Cabernet
Chardonnay
Cabernet Reserva
TIKAL
Patriota (Bonarda/Malbec blend)
Jubilo (Bordeaux-styled blend)
Amorio Malbec
XUMEK
Malbec
Syrah
ZOLO
Sauvignon Blanc ($10)
Chardonnay ($11)
Cabernet Sauvignon ($11)
Malbec ($11)
Merlot ($11)
Reserve wines: Cab, Chardonnay and Malbec ($21)
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