Argentina offers so much to the wine world...no longer new world, they have an excellent grape growing climate which reduces the need for pesticides and fertilisers and their wine making standards have risen to create high quality wines at affordable prices. I've selected 6 different grapes varietals, some native, but most imports from the 'old world' for this months club.
Argentina characterises itself by high altitude vineyards in the desert, creating long growing seasons and ample exposure to sunshine. Big temperature variation between day and night, help to extend the growing season. The Andes provide excellent irrigation, so all in all the environment is perfect for creating lovely grapes with good sugar content (alcohol), good acidity (crispness) and ripe tannins (body & complexity). The wines are all mono-varietal (one grape variety in the bottle), but sometimes blending Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon or/and Cabernet Franc can give extra benefit. Equally, there are traditional French blends arriving in Argentina, notably Semillion/Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux style) or Marsanne/Rousanne (Northern Rhone style), keep an eye out for those too!
We'll sample in order of their body, but you can choose how you explore :-)
2020 El Esteco 'Don David' Torrontes Reserve, Cafayate, Argentina
Tasting Note: Intense and bright yellow colored wine with gold edges. On the nose, offers a delicate bouquet, displaying notes of roses and orange blossoms. Vanilla aromas provided by its contact with oak are also perceived. On the palate, there’s an intense and balanced acidity. Good freshness with very pleasant citrus notes.
Food Pairing: This is an excellent wine to be paired with spicy Asian and Latin American dishes, also with seafood, ceviche and sushi. We had this on New Years Eve with a Rick Stein Wild Salmon Salsa Verde and it rocked!
2020 Estate Merlot, Humberto Canale
Tasting Note: This estate Merlot is beautifully balanced, with a noseful of ripe raspberries, cherries and blackcurrants, with chocolate, vanilla and a strand or two of tobacco in the mouth. From the first winery in Patagonia to be certified sustainable. Older vineyards, cooler climate, slower ripening and hand harvesting contribute to a well balanced and complex wine. At 13.5%, not too strong for Argentina!
Food Pairing: Its utmost pairing is grilled Patagonian lamb. It also shines with grilled or roast meats and pastas with rich sauces. Other suggestions are tuna or sword fish in rich sauces and game in a variety of dishes, especially stewed.
2021 Estacion 1883 Bonarda, Trapiche
Tasting Note: From Los Arboles vineyards in the Uco Valley, Mendoza at high altitude in the foot of the Andes in Mendoza. Bonarda offers a more delicate option to the big reds of Malbec, with more sophistication at a similar pricepoint. This helps to produce a fruity Argentinian red, packed with plums and strawberries, finishing with a lick of liquorice and a wisp of smoke.
Food Pairing: Ideal with grilled red meats and rich tomato pasta dishes.
2021 Project Malbec
Tasting Note: A unique blend especially selected for the Project Wine Co. in the Mendoza Valley. Brooding, deep red in colour, with Malbec's signature crimson tinge around the rim of the glass. A juicy Malbec with notes of baked plums, raisins and a hint of chocolate and vanilla, well balanced, soft and pleasant finish.
Food Pairing: The ideal wine for grilled meats or braised dishes.
2020 Don David Malbec, El Esteco
Tasting Note: Deep, poor, rocky soils in the Calchaqui Valley, Salta with irrigation from the Andes results in wines that are highly concentrated in color (look for the crimson rim in the glass - it's a classic Malbec blind tasting tell!), aromas and flavors with a unique character. This Argentinian Malbec is rich and filled with berries, plum jam, the fine, perfumed acidity of redcurrants, with the elegant scent of violets on the nose, plus the sweetness of vanilla and a smear of dark chocolate.
Food Pairing: Hard, full-flavoured cheeses and cold cuts are well suited. Beef in all its glory, grilled, roasted, barbecued....are an ideal match.
2021 Crios Malbec, Susana Balbo
Tasting Note: From the world famous Uco Valley in Mendoza, a high altitude desert that provides the perfect terroir for great wines. This creates a fresh, pure expression of the variety, this Malbec displays aromas of violets, cherries and spices. Fruity, with balanced acidity (crispness) on the palate, notes of ripe red fruits and a subtle hint of oak.
Food Pairing: Grilled meat, empanadas, or dulce de leche for a sweet treat.
<ENJOY!>
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