I am headed to Argentina next month and will spend some time in Mendoza. I am not overly knowledgeable on wines from Argentina. Of course, I am familiar with Catena and Paul Hobbs. But, I’m wondering about what other producers I should be on the lookout for while down there…particularly wines that I may only find while in the country.
bodegas Noemia makes a very good Malbec from Patagonia, if you want to try something from a cooler climate there. Still lots of fruit and all, but less dark, more energetic.
There are some seriously big time wines ranging from pure Malbec to mostly Cab Sav to stunning Cab Franc. Below are some that I think are pretty top notch and pretty consistently excellent:
Aleanna Gran Enemigo Gualtallary (Cab Franc + some malbec)
Nicolas Catena Zapata (Cab Sav + Malbec)
Catena Zapata - Adrianna Vineyard wines (there are some racy chards out of this and great malbecs)
Achaval Ferrer Malbec Finca Altamira
When one US dollar = 40 Argentinean Pesos everything is pretty cheap - relatively. I remember my first trip to BA in 2001 when it was 1:1 with the dollar. Times have changed.
Try buying from a local wine retailer. Use US dollars and negotiate. More expensive bottles are really out of range for most locals since the peso has gone south. I think deals
can be had. I found that restaurants were very happy to see folks from outside Argentina coming in as locals are finding the higher end places too expensive as wages have not
kept up with the devalued peso.
Chacra (pinot’s) - Treinta y Dos, Cinquenta y Cinco
Achaval Ferrer (malbec) - Bella Vista, Mirador, Alta Mira
Catena Zapata Estiba Reservada (cabernet sauvignon)
Zuccardi Fosil (chard)
Riccitelli (Chard)
Have fun. Lots of great food and wine. The people and culture are fantastic!
That really doesn’t match my experience the two times I’ve been. The wine part, anyway. The beef is definitely cheap. Dinner for two with a bottle of BenMarco Malbec was about $40 total at one place in Mendoza.
Most of the best, established wines are already exported. Starting a new winery is difficult because of acquiring water rights for irrigation.
Agree with Keith that there is some very exciting Cab Franc.