Argentina 2016 Special Report

(1)

Argentina 2016

Special Report

(2)

Pg

05 Introduction

07 Winemakers of Argentina

17 The 10 things you need to know about Argentina

25 Map of Argentina’s growing regions

26 A short guide to Argentina’s growing regions

28 The podium

29 The 2016 Argentinean top 100

32 A classification of Argentina’s best producers

34 A note about scoring and my classification

35 Tasting notes

124 Complete scores A-Z

147 Recommended restaurants in Argentina

147 Introduction

Crisis, what crisis? It makes a pleasant change to be writing my 2016

report at a time of comparative optimism in Argentina. A year, never

mind a week, is a long time in politics and the country has altered

radically in the last 12 months. In fact, the upturn in its fortunes is

even more recent than that. Mauricio Macri was elected president on

November 23 and has set about righting Argentina’s economic woes with

impressive energy since he took office in December.

(6)

There’s a dynamism and

vitality to the Argentinean

wine scene that I haven’t

“

as 25% on 2015, but this is not another 1998, widely regarded as one of the worst ever vintages in Argentina. “We were less good at managing our vineyards in 1998,” says Roberto de la Mota of Mendel. “This has been a cooler year, with less disease pressure, particularly from botrytis, than we saw in 1998.”

2016 could yet produce some very good wines, but the harvest may not be finished until the middle of May. The higher parts of Gualtallary, for instance, have experienced degree-days that are closer to Burgundy than La Mancha. “It’s the sort of thing that happens once in 50 years,” says Edy Del Popolo of Per Se and Dominio del Plata. In one sense, however, 2016 is part of a trend. Argentina hasn’t had a hot, dry vintage since 2012. 2013, 2014, 2015 and now 2016 have all been cool years, with significant amounts of rain in the last three vintages.

Argentina, in other words, is not without its problems, even if the outlook is more positive (assuming the 2016 harvest ends well) than it has

been for a while. But I believe that the country’s wines have entered a new and exciting phase. During my three week trip to write this, my fourth annual report on Argentina, I tasted more good reds than ever, particularly from the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Equally significantly, many of these wines are fresher, brighter and lower in alcohol than their predecessors, with less new oak and sweet, so-called “caramelo” flavours. The whites, too, have improved beyond all recognition in the space of five years.

Right now, there’s a dynamism and vitality to the Argentinean wine scene that I haven’t seen since the 1990s. In fact, it’s even more exhilarating than it was then, thanks to the emergence of new regions, styles and winemakers and a renewed sense of self-confidence. No one knows what will happen to the economy over the next 12 months, but the future of the wine industry looks extremely bright.

(7)

Winemakers

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

10 things you

need to know

about Argentina

Argentina is the fifth biggest wine-producing country in the world, with 226,388 hectares of vineyards at the most recent official count and an annual production of 13.36 million hectolitres in 2015.Only France, Italy, Spain and the United States make more vino. Argentina’s viticultural roots date back to the 16th century, but its modern wine industry is extremely vibrant and has seen dramatic changes in the last 20 years.

Although annual per capita consumption is nothing like as enthusiastic as it once was – Argentineans knocked back a remarkable 90 litres in the early 1990s, compared with fewer than 30 litres today – the country still drinks more than two and half times what it exports, even if much of it is pretty basic “vino corriente”. Wine is a much more important part of daily life in Argentina than in it is Chile, Brazil or Uruguay, or even the rest of the Southern Hemisphere for that matter. As well as a source of pride, wine is the national beverage of choice. That’s unlikely to change any time soon, however popular Fernet Branca or Quilmes beer may be among younger consumers.

This is one of the hottest, driest and most continental climates in the wine world, although it hasn’t seemed that way in rain-affected Mendoza in 2016.Most Argentinean vineyards are planted in what are essentially desert conditions and, in a normal growing season, would struggle to survive without irrigation, either from wells or the Andes. Dry farmed vineyards are rare,

and are protected by hail nets), but growing fine wine grapes is harder. That, in essence, is Argentina’s challenge.

The search for cooler sites has been one of the themes of the last 20 years and has seen companies go higher, further south and, more recently, east towards the Atlantic coast, in the case of Trapiche’s Costa & Pampa project. The Uco Valley, especially the upper parts of the Gualtallary sub-region, is the most highly publicised example of this, but Argentineans are exploring all four points of the compass in an attempt to mitigate the effects of heat and long sunshine hours and produce more elegant, nuanced wines. New areas such as Calingasta, Chañarmuyo, Chapadmalal, Chubut, El Challao, Jujuy, Lago Hermoso, La Pampa, Payagosta-Salta (home to the highest vineyard in the world, Colomé’s Altura Máxima at 3,111 metres) and Valle de Canota are all part of this trend.

Malbec is the country’s best grape and its global calling card.

The variety’s dominance is sometimes exaggerated, at least in statistical terms. It’s been higher in the past – a lot of old vineyards were pulled out in the government-sponsored vine pull schemes of the1980s - but today it only represents 17% of Argentina’s 226,388 hectares. But when it comes to sales overseas, it’s a different story: Malbec accounts for 51% of Argentina’s exports and is regarded as the country’s USP.

What’s more, the Malbec that is grown in Argentina is very different to what you find in the south-west French regions of Cahors and

(18)

research into the grape, partly funded by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, at his Tempus Alba winery in Mendoza since 2000. “The DNA of Argentinean Malbec is completely different,” he says.

There’s no doubt that Malbec is a versatile grape, capable of producing very different styles of wine, depending on where it is grown and how it is made. We are starting to see clear variations in aroma, structure and flavour between Malbecs grown in Agrelo, El Cepillo, Gualtallary, Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, Paraje Altamira, the Pedernal Valley, Río Negro, Salta, San Pablo, Vista Flores and Vistalba. Decisions in the vineyard and the winery clearly have an impact on style, but each of these places seems to give Malbec an individual stamp.

Biondillo is working with 14 different wineries in his Circulo project, to plant the same three clones of Malbec (whittled down from 16) in eight different parts of the country. “I agree that we need to sell our terroirs, but first we need to know what genetic material we are working with, so that we are comparing apples with apples, and not with pears or oranges.” Within a decade, Biondillo plans to have developed a “scientifically based sensory map of Malbec”.

This is all part of the challenge to make even more of Argentina’s signature grape. As Santiago Achával of Achával Ferrer and Mater Vini puts it: “The next big thing after Malbec is more Malbec, but from different sites and older geologies. That’s why our current search has taken us to places like the Valle de Canota and El Challao.”

The list of the country’s best Malbec producers is long and getting longer by the vintage. My favourites, all of whom have one or more wines in my Top 100 wines of the year, include: Achaval Ferrer, Altos Las Hormigas, Bodega Aleanna, Bodega Cuarto Dominio, Catena, Chakana, Colomé, De Angeles, Dominio del Plata, Doña Paula, Entonado, Luca, Mendel, Noemía, Norton, Per Se, Pulenta Estate, Puramun, Riccitelli Wines, Salentein, Terrazas de los Andes, Tintonegro, Trapiche, Viña Cobos, Weinert and Zuccardi.

It’s also significant that Malbec, regarded mostly as a blending grape in France, works

with a significant percentage of Malbec include Andeluna Pasionado Cuatro Cepas, Atamisque Assemblage, Bodega Tacuil Viñas de Dávalos, Bodega Vistalba Corte A, Buscado Vivo o Muerte La Verdad, Caro, Catena Zapata Nicolás, Cheval des Andes, De Angeles Viña 1924 Single Vineyard Gran Corte, Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin, Finca Flichman Dedicado, Mendel Unus, Norton Gernot Langes, Per Se Francesca, Per Se La Craie, Pulenta Estate Gran Corte, Pyros Special Blend, Riglos Gran Corte, Trapiche Iscay, Tres 14 Imperfecto, Weinert Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino, Zorzal Field Blend and Zuccardi Zeta.

Other red grapes have enormous potential, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Bonarda and Pinot Noir.Famous rock bands are often faced with a conundrum when they’re playing live: at what point do they dip into their back catalogue and play their greatest hits? They may want to showcase new material, but the crowd is impatient to hear something they can sing along to.

People like familiarity. It’s one of the reasons brands are so successful, and not only in music. But it’s also dangerous to stick with the tried and tested. Innovation and an element of surprise are vital in most walks of life. Just as a shark needs to keep moving to stay alive, so artists need to be creative.

Argentina faces a similar dilemma with Malbec. I’m not suggesting that the country’s best variety is predictable or has run out of gas (see above). Indeed, you could argue that Malbec is more exciting today than it has ever been, with the development of new sub-regions and an increasing focus on terroir. But Argentina is sometimes regarded as a producer of Malbec and nothing else.

One of the things that surprises people about Argentinean wine is its diversity. How many other New World countries grow Aglianico, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Caladoc, Carignan, Dolcetto, Grenache, Marselan, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tannat and Tempranillo, as well as Malbec?

(19)

variety is capable of special things in Argentina, particularly in Mendoza. If you haven’t tried Andeluna’s Pasionado, Atamisque’s Serbal, Bodega Aleanna’s Single Vineyard Grand Enemigo, Pulenta Estate’s Gran Cabernet Franc, Salentein’s Numina or Zorzal’s Eggo Franco, you are missing out on bottlings of brilliant varietal expressions of this wonderful grape.

Cabernet Franc delivers as a blending component, too, as we know from Bordeaux. Its partnership with Malbec – as sensual as the best tango – is particularly special. Just get hold of a bottle of Bodega Teho’s Zaha Malbec from the Toko Vineyard, Dominio del Plata’s Benmarco Expresivo, Per Se La Craie, Salentein’s Gran Vu or Tres 14 Imperfecto. But Cabernet Franc works well with one or more of the other red Bordeaux varieties, too. Good examples include, Achaval Ferrer’s Quimera, Luigi Bosca’s Finca Los Nobles Field Blend, Norton’s Gernot Langes, Mendel’s Red Blend and Pulenta Estate’s Gran Corte.

What Cabernet Franc doesn’t have going for it is abundance. A mere 750 hectares, of which only 57 hectares are planted in what is arguably its best terroir in Gualtallary, is not going to keep the world supplied for long. When you compare plantings with those of Cabernet Sauvignon (15,859 hectares) and Syrah (13,029,), it starts to look insignificant. Syrah is not yet as exciting as it should be in Argentina – although the 2013 Finca Las Moras Gran Syrah from San Juan is the most promising I’ve had yet – but Cabernet Sauvignon is well suited to the country’s range of micro-climates and there’s more of it.

Paul Hobbs of Viña Cobos, who knows a thing or two about the variety from California, thinks that it’s under-rated in Argentina. This may be true, but Cabernet Sauvignon is increasingly bottled as a varietal wine. A list of the best producers would include Achával Ferrer, Andeluna, Bodega Tacuil, Bressia, Casarena, De Angeles, Dominio del Plata, El Esteco, El Porvenir de Cafayate, Fabre Montmayou, Finca Decero, Finca La Anita, Kaikén, La Mascota, Lagarde, Mendel, Navarro Correas, Norton, Piedra Negra, Pulenta Estate, Riglos, Salentein, SonVida, Terrazas de los Andes and Viña Cobos. The grape is also the backbone of high-end wines such as Bressia Profundo, Catena Zapata Nicolás,

is Bonarda, and yet it’s the second most planted red grape in Argentina, with 19,214 hectares. Even on the domestic market, the variety’s image is not particularly glamorous. Over half of those plantings are in the scorching, desert-like conditions of eastern Mendoza, grown on high trellises called “parrales” and often flood irrigated. Historically, Bonarda was grown for its yield and disease-resistance, and still is to a large extent, as well as its ability to add acidity to Malbec.

Some people mistake the grape for the Bonarda (Croatina) grown in Oltrepò Pavese or Lombardy (Bonarda Piemontese and Uva Rara). But it turns out that the variety is not Italian, but French. According to ampelographers, Bonarda is none other than Corbeau, also known as Charbono in California. Now that Bonarda’s identity is clearer, perhaps its stock will rise. Look out for the wines from Altos Las Hormigas, Bodega Aleanna, Bodega Iaccarini, Cara Sur, Chakana, Dante Robino, Morelli Vino de Cava and Zuccardi.

Pinot Noir needs no such help with its identity, but it’s fair to say that the variety is not normally associated with Argentina. For some time, Chacra in Río Negro has been the coruscating exception to the fairly dull fare on offer. Yet on my last three visits to the country, I’ve been increasingly impressed by a growing number of wines from Gualtallary, Neuquén, San Pablo, Río Negro. I even had a good one from La Consulta this year. Apart from Chacra, noteworthy Pinots are made by Altocedro, Familia Schroeder, Gen di Alma, Luca, Manos Negras and Salentein.

Argentina’s white wines have undergone a transformation.If you were to ask most people which Latin American country produces the continent’s best Chardonnays, Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc, they would nominate Chile, which benefits from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, but Argentina is raising its game by the vintage, producing wines that can be every bit as good. What’s more, it makes a more diverse range of white wines than its Andean neighbour, using an extensive list of grape varieties that includes

(20)

Pinot Gris, Roussanne, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon, Sylvaner, Tocai Friulano, Torrontés, Verdicchio and Viognier, as well as the less exquisite delights of Pedro Giménez and Sultanina Blanca.

Argentina’s most distinctive white grape is Torrontés, or rather a range of Torrontés, since this highly perfumed variety, which resulted from a natural crossing of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica, has at least three major clones (Riojano, Mendocino and San Juanino). The received wisdom is that the best examples come from the high altitude vineyards of Salta (where the superior Riojano clone is predominant). Outstanding wines are certainly made there by the likes of Alta Vista, Colomé, El Esteco and El Porvenir de Cafayate, but you’re just as likely to find impressive Torrontés in Mendoza, especially in the Uco Valley, where Passionate Wine and Dominio del Plata both make distinctive styles, the first with skin contact, the second with barrel fermentation.

Plantings of Torrontés dwarf those of other premium white grapes. The three clones account for 10,632 of Argentina’s 226, 338 hectares under vine. But Chardonnay (6,352 hectares) is growing in importance and quality. Not so long ago, Argentinean Chardonnay looked to California rather than Burgundy for its inspiration. The results were drinkable, but rarely exciting. The pioneering work or Catena in the higher reaches of the Uco Valley (Gualtallary) has changed all that. The limestone soils of Catena’s Adrianna Vineyard are responsible for two of the country’s (and South America’s) best Chardonnays: White Stones and White Bones. Further Uco Valley producers to look out for are Andeluna, Atamisque, Chakana, Doña Paula, Luca, Navarro Correas, Norton, Revolver, Riccitelli Wines, Rutini, Salentein Terrazas de los Andes, Trapiche and Zuccardi, while Bodega del Río Elorza (Río Negro), El Porvenir de Cafayate (Cafayate) and Pulenta Estate (Agrelo) make very good Chardonnays in other regions.

If great Chardonnay was rare in Argentina even a decade ago, top Sauvignon Blanc was almost an oxymoron. The country’s dry, continental climate was considered too hot to

described as “green Michelini” because of his fondness for earlier-picked, lower alcohol wines. First at Doña Paula, then at Finca Sophenia and now at Passionate Wine and Zorzal (where he works with his brothers, Juan Pablo and Gerardo), Michelini has made a series of brilliant Sauvignon Blancs. Look out in particular for the Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal.

Michelini isn’t the only excellent Sauvignon Blanc producer, mind you. Doña Paula and Finca Sophenia are still right up there in terms of quality, as is Colomé, whose Altura Máxima Sauvignon Blanc comes from the highest vineyard in the world, Bodega Tacuil, also in Salta, and O. Fournier, whose Alfa Crux is made in a Graves-like style. I’d also recommend the barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blancs from La Giostra del Vino, made by the Italian Giuseppe Franceschini.

Riesling is another unlikely success story in Argentina. There’s not a whole lot of it in the ground (111 hectares to be precise), but what’s planted has real potential, especially in Gualtallary (Doña Paula), Las Compuertas (Luigi Bosca) and Chapadmalal (Trapiche’s Costa & Pampa), mostly made in a dry style.

The last member of this trio is the most recent, as well as the most exciting site for Riesling and other aromatic varieties such as Albariño and Gewürztraminer. It’s an unirrigated estate situated five kilometres from the Atlantic on what was previously a diary farm. Even the Uruguayans don’t grow grapes this close to the ocean, but the early indications are that Trapiche is on to a winner.

And what of Argentina’s other whites? Well, there are a handful of decent Viogniers (Alamos, DiamAndes, Escorihuela Gascón and Lagarde), a Gewürztraminer or two (Rutini and Mar & Pampa) and at least one very good Pinot Gris (Piedra Negra), but the variety with the greatest promise is Semillon, just as it is in South Africa. Plantings are reasonably sizeable at 799 hectares, and Marcelo Miras, Passionate Wine, Riccitelli Wines and especially Mendel make exciting interpretations of the grape.

White blends are under-represented in Argentina, especially at the top end. Producers

(21)

varieties to good effect, most notably Blanchard y Lurton, Bodega Underground, Bressia, Dominio del Plata, La Giostra del Vino, Finca Agostino, Morelli Vino de Cava, Mythic Estate, Monofri Wines, Passionate Wine and Piedra Negra.

The Uco Valley has established itself as one of the New World’s greatest wine regions.If you’d visited in the early 1990s, the idea that this isolated corner of Mendoza province would one day be regarded as the source of the majority of Argentina’s best reds would have been fanciful. Plantings had dwindled to a nadir of only 6,000 hectares as growers, incentivised by government vine pull schemes, uprooted vineyards and replaced them with fruit and veg. In the space of a decade, the town of La Consulta, the location of many of the Uco’s oldest plantings, lost 80% of its vines.

Today, the valley today is almost unrecognisable. The Andes are still there, providing one of the wine world’s most dramatic backdrops, but almost everything else has changed. There are more vineyards (plantings have more than quadrupled to 27,600 hectares), over 100 brands and 20 wineries. The Uco has also become a tourist and “lifestyle” destination, complete with four real estate projects and its own golf course. It has gone from backwater to boom town, attracting investors from sources as diverse as France, Russia, Spain and the United States.

What’s even more remarkable is the wine quality that is emerging from the Uco, although the potential has always been there. The first vineyards were planted as long ago as the 1920s by Italian and Spanish immigrants and, in some cases, are still producing impressive wines. The major Argentinean wineries valued the fruit they produced for its colour, perfume and acidity, but very few of the resulting wines were stand-alone bottlings.

Although generally regarded as a single homogenous region, the Uco is surprisingly diverse. It is only 43 miles in length and 25 in width, yet the valley’s vineyards vary considerably. The valley is bounded on four sides - by desert in the south, the Andes in the west, by gorges and dry riverbeds in the east and by a

At its lowest point, the Uco is 1,000 metres in altitude; at its highest (at least as far as viticulture in concerned) around 1,600 metres. The further north you go, the higher the vineyards and the cooler the resulting temperatures. Nonetheless, this is a region where dry farming is very rare indeed. Without water from wells or the Tunuyán or Las Tunas rivers, vines would struggle to survive, such is the intensity of the sunlight. Diurnal variation (up to 20°C in summer and 18°C in winter) helps to mitigate the dry heat (and preserve acidity in the grapes) but this is still an extreme region.

Not so long ago, the main focus in the Uco was on altitude and, to a lesser degree, aspect. But now it’s on soil type, water holding capacity and drainage. This growing interest in terroir is reflected in the number of soil pits (or “calicatas”) that are regularly dug all over the region, as well as in the recent creation of Paraje Altamira, the country’s first GI (Geographical Indication), based on a rigorous study by Professor Ricardo Pérez Valenzuela.

The valley is divided into three sub-regions, following political and geographical boundaries rather than differences in terroir. From north to south, these are Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. Very few wineries use these terms on their labels these days. They are far more likely to talk about smaller viticultural zones within the Uco, such as Chacayes, El Cepillo, Gualtallary, La Consulta, Los Arboles, Paraje Altamira, San Pablo and Vista Flores.

Gualtallary is the most recently developed of these, and yet it’s arguably the one with the most potential, having the both the highest altitudes and the greatest concentration of limestone. It’s equally well suited to whites – as the Chardonnays from Catena and Luca, the Sauvignon Blancs from Zorzal and Passionate Wine and the Riesling from Doña Paula have demonstrated – as it is to reds, especially Malbec and Cabernet Franc, but also Pinot Noir. Additional producers to look out for are Altos Las Hormigas, Bodega Aleanna, Gen de Alma, Finca Ambrosía, Navarro Correas, Per Se, Revolver, Riglos, Tres 14, Trapiche, and Zuccardi.

(22)

the moment, including Zuccardi’s Piedra Infinita and Aluvional, Mendel’s Finca Remota, Altos Las Hormigas’ Appellation Altamira Malbec, Bodega Teho Zaha Malbec from the Toko Vineyard and Achával Ferrer’s Finca Altamira, and is arguably the valley’s equivalent of a Grand Cru. Add the wines from La Consulta, where the vines tend to be older, and a handful from Vista Flores and Los Arboles and you have a valley with at least five distinct, high-quality sub-zones.

Most exciting of all is that the best is yet to come. The average age of the Uco’s vineyards is young – the result of that vine pull as well as the recent boom in plantings – and some of the finest terroirs may still be undiscovered. But that’s in the future. What the valley is producing right now has radically changed the profile of Argentinean wine.

There’s life beyond Mendoza.It’s hard to think of another country where a single region dominates the wine industry the way Mendoza does in Argentina. Buenos Aires may be the nation’s political, economic and artistic hub, but Mendoza is its undisputed wine capital, with the wineries, the vineyards and the research institutions to prove it. A quick glance at the statistics confirms this. Out of 226,388 hectares under vine, 160,983 are in Mendoza, equivalent to 71%. Not even Rioja, which bestrides the Spanish wine scene, can match it.

Mendoza’s vineyards are far from uniform. There are significant differences between the sub-zones of Luján de Cuyo (Perdriel, Agrelo and Ugarteche), the traditional heart of the Argentinean wine business, let alone the scorching flatlands of eastern Mendoza and the cooler, higher, Andean-influenced Uco Valley, whose northern end in particular is producing some of the most elegant whites and reds in the country. And yet there is a very real sense in which Mendoza, to many consumers, is Argentinean wine.

That’s only part of the picture, however. The other 29% of this large varied winemaking country adds welcome complexity to the tableau. The latitude of Argentina’s vineyards stretches

wine regions are often divided, geographically rather than stylistically it must be said, into three groups: the northwest (Salta, Catamarca and La Rioja), Cuyo (Mendoza and San Juan) and Patagonia (Neuquén and Río Negro). This is a crude, but still useful, way of understanding the country.

Could any of these areas challenge Mendoza’s supremacy in the coming decades? Definitely not in terms of quantity, but there are signs that the quality of what is emerging from some of these new (or recently rediscovered) areas could match some of the best wines in Mendoza. Four of them are particularly promising: Calingasta, Chapadmalal, Payogasta-Salta and the Pedernal Valley, each of which has already produced some excellent wines.

Calingasta is an old vine-growing region in one sense. Some of the vines in Barreal, its most interesting sub-region, were planted in the 1920s, grown at 1,500 metres of altitude on pergola trellising and located even closer to the Andes than the Uco Valley on the western side of the “precordillera” (foothills) of this majestic mountain range. “It’s a really old area,” says Sebastián Zuccardi, who is one of the partners in an exciting new venture called Cara Sur, making wines from Bonarda, Criolla and Moscatel Tinto. “Historically, the grapes were used to make cheap wines, but the potential is huge here.”

If Calingasta is a traditional region, Chapadmalal is all about the shock of the new. There were no vineyards planted here until Trapiche converted an old cattle farm situated a few miles from the Atlantic to the south of Buenos Aires. They started with 10 hectares of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer and have now added another 15 hectares, extending the line up of grapes to include Albariño, a first for Argentina. The vineyards are dry farmed (not surprising giving the comparatively wet climate) and after six years in the ground are producing some of the country’s most refined white wines under the expert eye of chief winemaker, Daniel Pi.

I’m also increasingly impressed by the wines emerging from the Pedernal Valley in San Juan, a high, windy, isolated spot with altitudes

(23)

it has enormous potential. There are only 800 hectares planted here, most of them owned by Las Moras, Pyros and growers who sell their wines to other wineries, but there are surely more to come.

Every bit as exciting is Colomé’s

biodynamically farmed Altura Máxima vineyard in Payogasta-Salta: 25 hectares of Malbec, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc planted at a light-headed 3,111 metres above sea level, making it the highest vineyard in the world. Growing grapes in such an isolated spot, two and half hours’ drive from the main Colomé winery (which is pretty secluded itself), is extremely tricky, with no sunlight until 10 am because of shadows from the surrounding peaks.

This quartet of regions has added

considerably to the diversity of Argentina’s wine scene. The exciting thing is that I could have chosen another half a dozen up- and-coming sites. And with more adventurous winemakers constantly searching for new and interesting locations, there are surely plenty more to be discovered. Or rediscovered.

Mendoza will always be the centre of the Argentinean wine industry, but as the emphasis shifts from technique to terroir – as evidenced by the number of soil pits or “calicatas” that litter the country’s vineyards – so Argentina will continue to experiment and explore new areas. I can’t wait to taste the results.

Young winemakers are having a growing impact. It may be a sign that I’m getting old, but the average age of the country’s oenologists seems to be falling. The extreme example is Manuel Michelini, son of winemakers Gerardo and Andrea Michelini and the man behind Plop!, who is all of 20, but there are more recently qualified people working in the industry that any time in the last 25 years, a sure sign that people see a future in wine once more.

I’ve probably missed a few of the leading names, but look out for the wines from Lucas Amoretti (Entonado), Agostina Astegiano (Avarizza), German Berra (Finca Flichman), Gabriel Bloise (Chakana), Agustín Lombroni (Bodega del Río Elorza), Santiago Mayorga (Cadus), Raul Dávalos (Bodega Tacuil), Leo

Agustín Lanus (Altos Terruños), Mario Malatto (Filus), Juan Pablo Michelini (Zorzal and 2km), Cristian Moor and Teresita Barrio (Moor-Barrio), Karim Mussi (Altocedro), Mariana Onofri (Onofri Wines), Lorenzo Pasquini (Cheval des Andes), Matiás Prieto (Entre Vero), Mariano Quiroga (El Porvenir de Cafayate), Gaspar Rastrilla (Casa de Uco), Gustavo Rearte (Achával Ferrer), Matías Riccitelli (Riccitelli Wines) and Sebastián Zuccardi (Zuccardi). The future of Argentinean wine is in excellent hands.

Argentina is increasingly focused on expressing its vineyards - and its vintages.It’s hard to wander into a vineyard these days without stumbling on a soil pit, or “calicata”, dug to show what lies beneath the surface in the so-called root zone. Even ten years ago, these were very rare in Argentina, but no one plants a vineyard these days without thinking about soils and geology. The work of viticulturists such as Pedro Marchevsky (Humberto Canale), Martín Kaiser (Doña Paula), Edy del Popolo (Dominio del Plata and Per Se), Alejandro Sejanovich (Casarena, Tintonegro, Manos Negras and Bodega Teho), Luis Reginato (Catena and Chaman) and the Chilean Pedro Parra (Chakana and Altos Las Hormigas) has been vital in this respect.

Not so long ago, the main focus was on altitude – that desire to temper heat again – but now it is on soil type, water holding capacity and drainage. The greater understanding of the influence of calcium carbonate and limestone in wine flavour (although this is a controversial subject, as some argue that both have no taste) and structure has been particularly beneficial to Argentina, bringing what I identify as a soil-derived freshness to many of the top wines, especially from Alta Mira and Gualtallary. There are almost certainly great vineyard locations that have not yet been discovered in Argentina, but Argentineans are making more of what they have than ever thanks to better viticulture.

Argentina doesn’t have an appellation system. Or, if it does, this tends to be based on political or geographical boundaries rather than soil types. This is further complicated by the fact that some would-be appellations – Cafayate,

(24)

Altamira as a GI (Geographical Indication) three years ago as, based on the work of the academic Professor Ricardo Pérez Valenzuela and a rigorous study of soil types, is a first step towards something more meaningful. Could Argentina develop a Burgundian-style system of communes and recognised vineyard sites? For now, it’s some way off, but it’s a tantalising prospect.

One important feature of vineyard expression, as opposed to the desire to correct and manipulate wines in the cellar, is vintage variation. It’s tricky to generalise about such a large wine country, but vintage summaries still have a degree of validity. What we can say is that 2013, 2014, 2015 and the on-going and very late 2016 harvests have been cooler than normal. The temptation is to regard these as “inferior” to hotter recent years like 2012, but that is not necessarily so. 2015 was certainly tricky, and 2016 is proving no less so, but 2013 and 2014 in particular have produced some outstanding wines with appealing freshness and balance.

“We really love cool vintages,” says Edy Del Popolo of Per Se and Dominio del Plata, “because they provide better precision: more frank, pure and delineated wines with more authenticity and natural acidity and less alcohol. To make profound wines, the sites are key. Expressing the different vintages is part of that.” Del Popolo

argues that Argentina generally swings between warm and dry vintages (La Niña-affected) and cool and wet ones (El Niño-affected). The former were 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2012, while the latter include 1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and now 2016. In other words, the last hot vintage was in 2012.

The economy is finally getting back on track.A year ago in these pages I argued that Argentina needed better and less corrupt politicians to run its finances and institutions. I also suggested that Mauricio Macri, then the mayor Buenos Aires but considered an outside bet for the presidency, sounded like a promising and competent potential successor to Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Well, it happened on November 23rd last year. It’s too early to say for certain whether Macri’s victory marks what the

Financial Times called “the beginning of a new era” for Argentina, but that does seem to be the case. Thanks to the devaluation of the peso – necessary and brave – most wineries are looking to the future with renewed confidence. The industry needs outside investment, dollars and a stable economic base. And after a decade in the doldrums, things are finally looking up.

(25)

Map of

Argentina’s

(26)

A short guide

to Argentina’s

growing regions

Argentina’s vineyards stretch from 22° to 42° latitude. Most are planted within sight of the Andes, although altitudes vary considerably, from 250m to just over 3,100m. Here are the most important details about each of the wine regions. Grape varieties of particular interest are

highlighted in bold.

Catamarca

Vineyard area: 2,651 hectares

Main varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Torrontés

In a nutshell: Isolated, mountainous and generally less well developed, wine-wise than neighbouring Salta. The centre of the wine industry is the Fiambala Valley, but this is one Argentina’s least well-visited regions. Recent plantings in the Santa Maria district by Michel Torino are promising.

La Pampa

Vineyard area: 216 hectares

Main varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Viognier In a nutshell: Mostly known for the production of a single winery (Bodega del Desierto), this is a new, isolated vineyard area that has been making wine since 2004. The initial results are promising, made with help from American guru, Paul Hobbs.

La Rioja

Main varieties: Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Syrah, Tannat, Torrontés In a nutshell: The site of Argentina’s first vineyards. Some good wines here – the Fairtrade and organic projects are particularly interesting – while the La Riojana co-operative is one of the country’s best. An area with as yet unrealised potential, although the wines from Valle de la Puerta are worth looking out for, as are those from Chañarmuyo.

Mendoza

Vineyard area: 160,983 hectares (including San Rafael and the Uco Valley)

Main varieties: Bonarda, Cabernet Franc,

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Tocai Friulano,

Torrontés, Semillon, Viognier

In a nutshell: The hub of the Argentinean wine industry. A large and varied area that produces most of the country’s best wines. Maipú, East Mendoza and San Rafael tend to produce cheaper

(27)

Neuquén

Main varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

In a nutshell: Comparatively new, low-lying (for Argentina) area created thanks to a large irrigation dam a decade or so ago. Quality is good rather than spectacular, as this is quite a warm area. But the wines are improving with every year, as the vines get older. The red, iron-rich soils of Añelo are very promising, especially for Pinot Noir of all things.

Río Negro

Main varieties: Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot,

Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon,

Ugni Blanc

In a nutshell: The oldest vine-growing region in Patagonia and the source of most of its best wines, with greater freshness and longevity than those of Neuquén to the west. Marked diurnal temperature swings and old vines make this an area to watch for everything from Pinot Noir to Malbec, via Merlot and Riesling.

Salta

Main varieties: Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir,

Tannat, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Torrontés

framed by a dry, cactus-strewn desert and spectacular scenery. Some increasingly good red blends here, as well as varietal Malbecs and Tannats. Still best known for its Torrontés Riojano, but plantings are now shared equally between reds and white. Increasingly impressive.

San Juan

Main varieties: Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Moscatel, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Torrontés, Ugni Blanc, Viognier

In a nutshell: A large, mostly hot area that is second only to Mendoza in size. Produces a lot of basic, quaffing wine, much of destined for domestic consumption, but more recent plantings in the higher, cooler Pedernal and Calingasta Valleys are spectacularly good. Makes some of Argentina’s best Syrahs.

Tucumán

Vineyard area: 94 hectares

Main varieties: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Tannat, Torrontés, Syrah

In a nutshell: Best known for its share of the Calchaquí Valley (with neighbouring Catamarca and Salta). Plantings are comparatively small and are mostly located in the sparsely populated Tafí del Valle department. High altitude viticulture (starting at 1,800m) is the theme here in a region that has real promise.

Uco Valley

Main varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet

Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot,

Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo In a nutshell: . Currently the most exciting region in Argentina, thanks to a combination of foreign investment, high altitudes, the proximity of the Andes, old vines (especially in La Consulta) and new plantings in Gualtallary. The potential of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Malbec (particularly if they are grown on limestone) is enormous, especially as some of the new vineyards mature. Look out for sub-regional wines from recently delimited Paraje Altamira,

(28)

The podium

Winemaker of the Year

Sebastián Zuccardi

Young Winemaker of the Year

Matías Riccitelli

Winemaking Legend

Pepe Galante

Red Wine of the Year

2013 Zuccardi Finca Canal Uco, Paraje Altamira

White Wine of the Year

2013 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay, Uco Valley

Sparkling Wine of the Year

2006 Cruzat Gran Millésime, Mendoza

Red Wine Discovery of the Year

2013 Buscado Vivo o Muerte La Verdad, Gualtallary

(29)

The 2016

Argentinean top 100

2013 Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira Malbec, Uco Valley 2013 Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista Malbec, Perdriel 2013 Achaval Ferrer Temporis Malbec, Mendoza

2014 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Appellation Piedras, Gualtallary 2014 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Appellation, Paraje Altamira 2013 Bodega Aleanna El Enemigo Malbec, Mendoza

2014 Bodega Cuarto Dominio Chento Single Lot Malbec, Mendoza 2013 Casa de Uco Malbec, Vista Flores

2013 Catena Fortuna Terrae Malbec, Uco Valley 2013 Catena Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, Uco Valley 2014 Chakana Ayni Malbec, Paraje Altamira

2013 Colomé Altura Máxima Malbec, Salta 2013 Colomé Auténtico Malbec, Salta

2013 De Angeles Viña 1924 Single Vineyard Gran Malbec, Vistalba

2013 Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Limited Edition Malbec, Paraje Altamira 2012 Doña Paula Alluvia Parcel Malbec Bush Vines, Gualtallary

2012 Doña Paula Selección de Bodega Malbec, Mendoza 2012 Entonado Malbec, Luján de Cuyo

2013 Luca Nico by Luca High G Lot Malbec, Gualtallary 2013 Mendel Finca Remota Malbec, Paraje Altamira 2013 Noemía Malbec, Río Negro

2012 Norton Lote A112 Malbec, Agrelo

2014 Per Se Volare del Camino Malbec, Gualtallary 2013 Pulenta Estate Single Vineyard Malbec, Gualtallary 2013 Puramun Malbec Reserva, Mendoza

2014 Riccitelli Wines República del Malbec, Vistalba

2014 Salentein, Single Vineyard Malbec Plot No. 21, Uco Valley

2011 Terrazas de los Andes Single Parcel Los Castañoas Malbec, Las Compuertas 2013 Tintonegro Finca La Escuela Malbec, Paraje Altamira

2013 Tintonegro La Escuela Vineyard La Piedra Malbec, Paraje Altamira 2013 Tintonegro 1955 Vineyard Malbec, La Consulta

2012 Trapiche Terroir Series Malbec Cristina y Bibiana Coletto, Tupungato 2012 Trapiche Terroir Series Malbec Finca Ambrosía, Gualtallary

2012 Trapiche Terroir Series Malbec Finca Orellana de Escobar, La Consulta 2013 Viña Cobos Malbec, Perdriel

1994 Weinert Estrella Malbec, Luján de Cuyo 2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec, Paraje Altamira 2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec, La Consulta 2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec, Gualtallary 2015 Zuccardi Concreto Malbec, Paraje Altamira

Best

MALBECS

2012 Achaval Ferrer Quimera

2011 Andeluna Pasionado Cuatro Cepas 2011 Bodega Teho El Corte, Toko Vineyard 2010 Bressia Conjuro

20011 Catena Zapata Nicolás 2011 Cheval des Andes

2012 De Angeles Viña 1924 Single Vineyard Gran Corte 2011 Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin

2013 Per Se La Craie

2011 Pulenta Estate Gran Corte 2012 Riglos Gran Corte 2012 tres 14 Imperfecto

RED BLENDS

(30)

2013 Andeluna Pasionado Cuatro Cepas, Tupungato 2011 Atamisque Assemblage, Uco Valley

2015 Bodega Tacuil Viñas de Dávalos, Molinos 2013 Bodega Vistalba Corte A, Vistalba

2013 Buscado Vivo o Muerte La Verdad, Gualtallary 2012 Casa Bianchi Enzo Bianchi, San Rafael 2013 Caro, Mendoza

2011 Catena Zapata Nicolás, Mendoza 2013 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza

2013 De Angeles Viña 1924 Single Vineyard Gran Corte, Vistalba 2012 Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin, Mendoza

2013 Finca Flichman Dedicado, Tupungato 2013 Mendel Unus, Mendoza

2010 Norton Gernot Langes, Mendoza 2014 Per Se Francesca, Gualtallary 2014 Per Se La Craie, Gualtallary 2012 Pulenta Estate Gran Corte, Mendoza 2012 Pyros Special Blend, Pedernal 2013 Riglos Gran Corte, Tupungato 2011 Trapiche Iscay, Mendoza

2013 Trapiche Iscay Syrah/Viognier, Uco Valley 2013 Tres 14 Imperfecto, Gualtallary

1983 Weinert Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino, Luján de Cuyo 2013 Zorzal Field Blend, Gualtallary

2012 Zuccardi Zeta, Uco Valley

2014 Altocedro Pinot Noir, La Consulta

2012 Bodega Aleanna El Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Gualtallary

2013 Casarena Lauren’s Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Agrelo 2014 Catena Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon, Agrelo 2013 Chacra Treinta y Dos Pinot Noir, Río Negro 2015 Chacra Sin Azufre Pinot Noir, Río Negro 2013 De Angeles Viña 1924 Single Vineyard Gran Cabernet Sauvignon, Vistalba

2013 Finca Las Moras Gran Syrah, San Juan

2015 El Porvenir de Cafayate Laborum Single Vineyard Tannat, Cafayate 2012 José-Luis Mounier Laguna Brava Tannat Selected Reserve, Cafayate 2013 La Mascota Gran Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon, Paraje Altamira 2013 Luca Nico de Luca High G Lot Pinot Noir, Gualtallary

2012 Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc, Agrelo 2013 Riglos Gran Cabernet Sauvignon, Tupungato 2013 SonVida Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza

2013 Viña Cobos Marchiori Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Perdriel 1994 Weinert Estrella Cabernet Sauvignon, Luján de Cuyo

Best

RED BLENDS

(31)

2014 Blanchard y Lurton, Uco Valley 2013 Bressia Lágrima Canela, Uco Valley

2013 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay, Uco Valley 2013 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay, Uco Valley 2015 Colomé Altura Máxima Sauvignon Blanc, Salta

2006 Cruzat Gran Millésime, Mendoza

2015 Dominio del Plata White Blend, Uco Valley

2014 La Giostra del Vino Saltimbanco Sauvignon Blanc, Mendoza 2014 La Giostra del Vino Bacán Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Vista Flores 2015 Mendel Semillon, Paraje Altamira

2014 Piedra Negra Gran Lurton, Uco Valley

2013 Salentein Single Vineyard Plot 2 Chardonnay, Uco Valley 2015 Riccitelli Wines Old Vines Semillon, Patagonia

Best

(32)

A classification

of Argentina’s

best producers

Bodega Aleanna Bodega Tacuil Bodega Vistalba Bressia Chacra

Cheval des Andes Cruzat

Dominio del Plata

Fabre Montmayou Luca Noemía Norton Riccitelli Wines Weinert Zorzal

SECOND GROWTHS

Achával Ferrer Altos Las Hormigas Catena Zapata Colomé De Angeles Doña Paula Mendel Per Se Pulenta Estate Riglos Salentein Tintonegro Trapiche Viña Cobos Zuccardi

FIRST GROWTHS

Andeluna Atamisque Bodega Teho Caro Casa Bianchi Casarena Chakana Cuarto Dominio

La Giostra del Vino La Mascota Navarro Correas Piedra Negra Rutini

Terrazas de los Andes Tres 14

THIRD GROWTHS

Alta Vista Buscado Corazón del Sol El Esteco Gen de Alma Mater Vini Passionate Wine Puramun

FOURTH GROWTHS

(33)

Abremundos Alpamanta Altocedro Altos Terruños Altupalka Anko Antucura Avarizza Blanchard y Lurton Bodega del Desierto Bodega del Río Elorza Bodega Elvira Calle Cadus

Cara Sur Casa de Uco Chaman Chandon Clos de los Siete Cuvelier de los Andes Deumayen Entonado El Relator Entre Vero Escorihuela Gascón Etchart Familia Cassone Familia Schroeder Filus Bodega y Viñedos Finca Agostino Fin del Mundo Fincas Don Martino Finca La Anita Finca Las Moras Finca Quara Fernando Dupont Giménez Rilli Huentala Wines Humberto Canale Kaikén La Revancha Leo Borsi Los Toneles Luigi Bosca Mapema Marcelo Pelleriti Mariano di Paola Mariflor Melipal Montechez Monteviejo

Morelli Vino de Cava Mosquita Muerta Mundo Revès Mythic Vineyards Nieto Senetiner Ojo de Agua Onofri Wines Paimán Pascual Toso Piattelli Plop! Proemio Wines Pucará Revolver Trivento Tukma Underground Vaglio Vallisto Ver Sacrum Vicentin Viña Alicia

CRUS BOURGEOIS

Amalaya DiamAndes de Uco Domaine Bousquet Finca Decero Finca La Escarcha Finca Sophenia José-Luis Mounier Lagarde Manos Negras Marcelo Miras Moor-Barrio O Fournier

San Pedro de Yacochuya Tempus Alba

Viña Vida

(34)

Some notes about scoring

and my 2016 classification

The wines for this report were tasted in Argentina over a period of three weeks in January and February 2016. Around two-thirds of these were sampled at individual wineries, while the rest were assessed at bespoke sighted tastings organised by Winifera and Wines of Argentina in Mendoza and Buenos Aires, sometimes in the presence of a representative from the bodega in question. Almost all of the wines I assessed were bottled, but there were a few wines that I tasted as (nearly) finished samples from tank or barrel.

When I taste at a winery, I am more than happy to discuss the wines (but not my final score or tasting note) with the person who made them. Some critics would argue that this exerts an influence on the taster, but I see it differently. Talking to winemakers and viticulturists is the best way to understand local conditions, vintage

variations and stylistic nuances. I hope I am a sufficiently experienced taster to judge a wine for what it is, warts, beauty spots and all.

This report runs to more than 50,000 words. Rather than provide a tasting note for every one of the 1,093 wines I sampled, I have concentrated on the 688 brands that scored 90 points or more. It is a measure of the improvements in Argentinean wine that there were 161 of these in my first annual report and nearly four times that number here. Despite some tricky recent vintages, Argentina’s wines are getting better and better.

I’ve suggested a drinking window for each wine and, where appropriate, provided its varietal make up.

Have a look at the example below to see how I’ve organised the information for each wine:

This is my second attempt to classify Argentina’s best producers, an annual exercise that has stimulated some debate, as well as criticism in some quarters. This is very loosely based on the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, with five different bands (first, second, third, fourth and fifth growths) and a larger group of so-called Crus Bourgeois. Unlike the Bordeaux system, which rated the properties according to market price, my only criterion is quality. This year, I have increased the number of classified growths to 75 to reflect what I see as the dynamism and excitement of the Argentinean wine scene, and boosted the crus bourgeois to 75, too.

My 2016 classification is a snapshot of the Argentinean wine industry and is very much my opinion. Mindful that a critic should attempt to reward talent, irrespective of a long track record in some cases, I have chosen my favourite

Dominio, Fuego Bodega, Gen de Alma, Mater Vini, Moor-Barrio, Per Se, Pyros, Riccitelli Wines, SonVida, Tintonegro and Tres 14 – but I think that’s irrelevant. It’s what’s in the glass that counts. Time may prove me wrong, but I think that these wineries will help to define the Argentinean wine scene over the next quarter of a century.

My classification has changed significantly since last year. Nineteen of my 75 classed growths are new this year – Bodega Vistalba, Bodega Tacuil, Casa Bianchi, Caro, Dominio del Plata, Finca Ambrosía, Finca La Escarcha, La Mascota, Finca Sophenia, José-Luis Mounier, Luca, Marcelo Miras, Moor-Barrio, Navarro Correas, Puramun, Pyros, SonVida, Tempus Alba, and Weinert – while four wineries have been promoted to first growth status (Per Se, Pulenta Estate, Tintonegro, and Trapiche). It’s all

score

Wine name

_{Alcohol level, Region}

Short tasting note, drinking window

Red White

Rosé Sparkling

Sweet

My 2016 Classification

(35)

Tasting notes

2013 Colomé Altura Máxima Malbec

Salta 14.5%

You’d expect the highest vineyard in the world to produce something special, and that’s definitely the case here. Picked at the end of April, this high altitude Malbec has matched up to the abundant promise of its first vintage in 2012. Powerfully aromatic and focused, it’s dense, profound and textured, packed with crunchy, spicy blackberry and black cherry fruit and destined for further development in bottle.2017-26

2013 Zuccardi Finca Canal Uco

Paraje Altamira 15%

Made with slightly older vines than the Piedra Infinita bottling, this is another remarkable wine from the Zuccardi team. Dark, dense and powerful, with enormous fruit weight, very little oak influence, compact, but finely judged tannins and a bright, mineral-edged finish. Sappy, complex and complete. 2018-28

2013 Achával Ferrer Finca Altamira Malbec

Uco Valley 14%

The Achaval Ferrer vineyard is made up of five blocks, amounting to 7 hectares in total that were planted in 1925. The result is the freshest and finest red in the winery’s stellar line-up. Floral, scented and enticing, this is an effortlessly pure, complex Malbec with stylish oak and layer after layer of flavour supported by chalky minerality. 2017-26

2014 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Appellation Gualtallary Piedras

Gualtallary 14.2%

There’s a huge difference between Altos’ two Gualtallary bottlings in 2014, so make sure you choose this one. Focused, intense and typically chalky, this is polished and well balanced with intense blackberry and orange peel notes, understated oak and a finish that lingers for over a minute on the palate. Essence of the upper Uco Valley. 2017-26

2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec

Paraje Altamira 14.5%

A wine that encapsulates the exciting changes that have taken place at Zuccardi (and in Argentina) over the last decade, this is a world-class red from an exceptional, limestone-influenced site. Focused, floral and nuanced, with notes of wild herbs, red and black fruits, fine tannins and pithy acidity. 2017-26

2013 Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Malbec

Paraje Altamira 15%

A selection of the best, limestone-rich spots in the Zuccardis’ Paraje Altamira vineyards, this is as good as it gets from Argentina right now. Inky, concentrated, yet refreshing, with very little oak influence but masses of dark, spicy, aromatic fruit weight. Closed and brooding, but with the focus and balance to unfurl its complexity in bottle. 2018-27

Reds

98

97

(36)

2013 Achával Ferrer Finca Bella Vista Malbec

Perdriel 14%

The vines around the winery in Perdriel are mostly over 100 years old and it always shows in the density of this varietal Malbec. The cooler vintage seems to give the wine a little more purity and definition in 2013. Liquorice, mulberry and pepper spice notes are complemented by stylish oak. Structured enough to age, but almost drinkable now. 2016-23

2013 Achával Ferrer Temporis Malbec

Mendoza 14%

Made with a third of each of the Finca wines - which was why there was no Temporis in 2012 - this is always the most expensive bottling at Achaval, but not necessarily the best. In 2013, it’s just a notch below the Finca Altamira, showing plush, bramble, plum and liquorice flavours, fine tannins and an attractive, volatile lift. Dense and age worthy. 2017-24

2015 Bodega Tacuil Viñas de Dávalos

Molinos 15.7 %

Described as an “aperitif” by Raul Dávalos Senior, who likes to tease visitors, this co-fermented blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a single vineyard on this huge estate. Big and broad, yet focused at the same time, this is smooth and chalky with fine tannins and intense damson and blueberry notes, finishing with a minerally bite. 2016-22

2013 Catena Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec

Uco Valley 14.1%

This ambitious new release from Catena (US$300 a bottle, no less) is a radical departure for the winery that shows the left field thinking of winemaker Ale Vigil. Old wood, 50% whole bunches and partial carbonic maceration all contribute to the complexity of this remarkable Malbec, sourced from the same chalky soils as White Bones Chardonnay. Fresh and sappy with aromatic red fruits and notes of clove, pepper spice and bramble and a lingering finish. 2016-25

2011 Catena Zapata Nicolás

Mendoza 14%

Consistently among the best red blends in Argentina, and a wine that ages brilliantly, this cuvée includes only 25% Malbec this year, partly because the Agrelo Cabernet was so good in 2012. Last made in 2006, it’s a finely balanced wine that combines the two grapes to perfection, with notes of graphite, cassis, blueberry and subtle oak underpinned by plenty of structure and concentration. 2016-28

2013 Cheval des Andes

Mendoza 14.8%

Is Cheval des Andes finally starting to fulfil its enormous potential? So it would appear, because this is the best vintage yet of this Malbec-dominated blend. There’s less oak and the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are delivering greater freshness on the palate. Spice, acidity, creamy vanilla oak, fine tannins and notes of mint, blackberry and dried herbs. 2017-24

2014 Colomé Auténtico Malbec

Salta 14.5%

Made as a tribute to Raúl Dávalos, who used to own Colomé and who hates oak, this very old vine cuvée, some of it produced from ungrafted vines, sees no barrels at all. Dense, compact

96

(37)

2012 Doña Paula Alluvia Parcel Malbec Bush Vines

Gualtallary 14.5%

Sourced from one of the best vineyards in Gualtallary, much of it planted on an old riverbed, this is wonderfully scented and hedonistic, unfurling aromas of thyme and rosemary and flavours of blackberry, tapenade, sweet oak and chalky, palate-cleansing acidity. And the vines are only five years old. 2017-26

2013 Mendel Finca Remota Malbec

Paraje Altamira 14.4%

To my mind, this is the best release yet of Finca Remota, made in a cool vintage and benefiting from the extra freshness. Aromatic, violet-scented and very fine, it’s a super concentrated wine with beautifully delineated oak, notes of dried herbs and vibrant, chalky, blueberry and damson fruit. 2017-26

2014 Per Se La Craie

Gualtallary 14.4%

This co-fermented blend of Malbec with 20% Cabernet Franc comes from the same vineyard as Per Se’s Iubileus, but has more limestone influence, as its name suggests. There are only two barrels, neither of them new, of this exceptional wine. Fresh, chalky and refined, with dense black fruit flavours, subtle oak, a hint of green herbs and a mineral flourish. Long and complex on the palate, this is a wine for the cellar. 2019-28

2012 Pulenta Estate Gran Corte

Mendoza 14.5%

This brilliant blend of Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Tannat is nearly always the best wine at Pulenta Estate, and that’s the case in the excellent 2012 vintage. The combination of varieties is seamless here, demonstrating finesse, oak integration, fine tannins and notes of mint, tobacco, dried herbs, cassis and bramble. 2016-25

2013 Riglos Gran Cabernet Sauvignon

Tupungato 14.5%

Riglos’ vineyard in Gualtallary is one of the best Cabernet sites in Argentina, especially in a cooler vintage like 2013. Showing very pure varietal flavours, with dense blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, masses of dry extract, fine-grained tannins and notes of green herbs and mint supported by acidity. 2017-25

2013 Tintonegro 1955 Vineyard Malbec

La Consulta 14%

Guess when this vineyard was planted? Actually, it’s a combination of two sites, one of which was planted in 1941. This is a stunning wine, showing layers of dark, savoury blackberry and liquorice flavours, smooth tannins, bright acidity and a balanced, nuanced finish. Very complete. 2017-26

2011 Trapiche Iscay

Mendoza 14.5%

Combining Malbec from Gualtallary with 30% Cabernet Franc from Maipú, this is a very similar blend to the 2010, but is a step up in quality. Perfume, pepper spice, some capsicum, stylish oak and chalky minerality: this is one of the best candidates for your cellar in Argentina. 2016-26

96

(38)

2012 Trapiche Terroir Series Malbec Finca Ambrosía

Gualtallary 15.5%

The highest of the three vineyards that are used for the Terroir Series, this is also from a young site. It’s the most refreshing and focused of the trio, with red and black fruits, stylish oak and the chalky minerality that is so typical of the best wines from Gualtallary. 2016-26

2013 Tres 14 Imperfecto

Gualtallary 14.5%

As well as being the chief winemaker at Trapiche, Daniel Pi makes this, his own brand, on the side. It’s a brilliant, co-fermented blend of Malbec with 3% Cabernet Franc from Gualtallary, that’s layered, refreshing and very complex. Spicy, peppery and stylishly oaked, it has a mineral-edged finish that lingers enticingly on the palate and a touch of whole bunches. 2017-26

2013 Viña Cobos Malbec

Perdriel 14.9%

Is this the best wine in Argentina? Some critics seem to think so. It’s certainly a very impressive Malbec, but it’s one that’s made in a particular style: aromatic, concentrated and lavishly oaked, with ripe plum and blackberry fruit, attractive spices and plenty of alcohol. This is slightly fresher than the 2012, pointing to a slight shift in style. 2016-24

1983 Weinert Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino

Luján de Cuyo 14%

Anyone who thinks that the best Argentinean wines are incapable of ageing for 30 years or more should try a bottle of this remarkable Bordeaux blend, still available from Weinert. Complex, savoury and slightly feral, it’s a sweet, figgy, floral, mature red with notes of dried herbs and incense. 2016-22

1994 Weinert Estrella Malbec

Luján de Cuyo 14.5%

A wine that spent 15 years in old wooden “toneles” before bottling, this is a remarkable old vine Malbec that wouldn’t look out of place in Rioja or Tuscany. Complex and still evolving, it’s concentrated, stylish and smoky with plenty of tannic backbone and sweet, figgy flavours. 2016-24

2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec

Gualtallary 14.5%

One of the great things about the Aluvional series is how different they taste. Made with purchased fruit from Tupungato Winelands, this is fresh, richly aromatic and peppery with fine-grained, but firm tannins, notes of thyme and rosemary and a frisson of chalky minerality. 2017-28

2013 Zuccardi Aluvional Malbec

La Consulta 14.5%

The La Consulta site is a stony, river-derived soil at lower altitude and tends to produce the darkest and most concentrated of the three Aluvional bottlings. Chalky, savoury and dense, with understated oak and punchy tannins, it’s a wine that will age effortlessly in bottle. 2017-26

96

(39)

2013 Zuccardi Finca Los Membrillos

La Consulta 14.5%

The Zuccardis are increasingly regarded as Malbec specialists, but they are equally adept at making Cabernet Sauvignon if this varietal expression is anything to go by. Subtle oak, mint and dried herbs, blackcurrant sweetness, some graphite and green pepper and textured, finely judged tannins. 2018-26

2013 Andeluna Pasionado Cuatro Cepas

Tupungato 14.6%

The four grapes in question are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and just a little Merlot, which struggled in 2013. This is a lovely, refined wine showing leafy, green pepper and graphite notes, nuanced, filigree tannins, stylish oak and refreshing, focused acidity. Every bit as good as the 2012. 2017-24

2013 Bodega Aleanna El Enemigo Malbec

Mendoza 13.9%

Sourced entirely from vineyards in the cool (in both sense of the word) Uco Valley sub-region of Gualtallary, this is an outstanding blend of Malbec with 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Dense, yet chalky, it’s a multi-layered wine where the perfumed, blackberry fruit does the talking. 2016-22

2012 Bodega Aleanna El Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard

Cabernet Franc

Gualtallary 13.9%

Nine soil types and thirty-two different vinifications contribute to the complexity of this wine. Chalky and refined, it’s a delicious Cabernet Franc (with 15% Malbec), showing flavours of green herbs, capsicum and refreshing minerality, supported by structured, well-defined tannins. 2016-25

2014 Bodega Cuarto Dominio Chento Single Lot Malbec

Mendoza 14%

If the 2013 release of this blend of Malbec with 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot was special, this is even better, taking its place among Mendoza’s best reds. Smoky mulberry and blueberry fruit, superb balance, structured tannins and a fine, refreshing, tapering finish. Red winemaking of a high order. 2017-25

2013 Caro

Mendoza 14.5%

The best red I’ve had yet from this Franco-Argentine joint venture, this equal blend of Cabernet from Las Compuertas and Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira is rich and concentrated, but with considerable style and polish. Savoury, sappy and just a little earthy, with supporting acidity and beautifully judged oak integration. 2017-30

2014 Catena Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon

Agrelo 13.5%

This is stand-out red among the Catena appellation wines, made with the Furlotti Cabernet selection. Old vines, cold soils and subtly interwoven French oak are complemented by classic Cabernet grip and backbone. Dried herbs, mint and blueberry fruit combine to impressive effect here. 2016-22

Argentina 2016 Special Report

Argentina 2016

Special Report

Contents

Pg

05

Introduction

07

Winemakers of Argentina

17

The 10 things you need to know about Argentina

25

Map of Argentina’s growing regions

26

A short guide to Argentina’s growing regions

28

The podium

29

The 2016 Argentinean top 100

32

A classification of Argentina’s best producers

34

A note about scoring and my classification

35

Tasting notes

124

Complete scores A-Z

147

Recommended restaurants in Argentina

147

Further Reading

Introduction

Crisis, what crisis? It makes a pleasant change to be writing my 2016

report at a time of comparative optimism in Argentina. A year, never

mind a week, is a long time in politics and the country has altered

radically in the last 12 months. In fact, the upturn in its fortunes is

even more recent than that. Mauricio Macri was elected president on

November 23 and has set about righting Argentina’s economic woes with

impressive energy since he took office in December.

There’s a dynamism and

vitality to the Argentinean

wine scene that I haven’t

“

Winemakers

10 things you

need to know

about Argentina

Map of

Argentina’s

A short guide

to Argentina’s

growing regions

Catamarca

La Pampa

La Rioja

Mendoza

Neuquén

Río Negro

Salta

San Juan

Tucumán

Uco Valley

The podium

Winemaker of the Year

Young Winemaker of the Year

Winemaking Legend

Red Wine of the Year

White Wine of the Year

Sparkling Wine of the Year

Red Wine Discovery of the Year

The 2016

Argentinean top 100

Best

MALBECS

RED BLENDS

Best

Best

RED BLENDS

Best

A classification