Home MoreAboutWine.com Our Impressions Of Some Argentine Wines

Our Impressions Of Some Argentine Wines

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By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

Argentina produces terrific wines at reasonable prices. Using familiar European grape varieties, American consumers have readily accepted their exports – the U.S. is the largest wine importing country in the world and Argentina is number 6 of wines brought here. Mendoza, located in central Argentina, is the source of three quarters of wine produced in Argentina.

We taste a great deal of wine every year, and wines from Argentina frequently impress us both in quality and value. The wines offered below are all in the value category. A later column will review more expensive offerings from Argentina. For some reason we seem to encounter more whites than reds, so our notes will skew in that direction.

Following are our impressions:

Trapiche Oak Cask Chardonnay Mendoza 2021 (Trapiche)

Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay Reserve Organic Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza 2021 ($14). This wine is a beautiful mélange of tropical fruit and citrus. A big impact on the palate is followed by a lingering finish.

Trapiche Oak Cask Chardonnay Mendoza 2021 ($12-15). A very quaffable white wine exhibiting citrus and apple notes with just a bare whiff of oak.

Terrazas De Los Andes Chardonnay High Altitude Vineyards Mendoza 2021 ($20). Grown at the base of the Andes Mountains this cool climate chardonnay presents lemon and pear notes in a subtly creamy frame. Delicious!

Mascota Vineyards Unanime Chardonnay Mendoza 2022 ($15-20). Another high altitude (4,200 ft.) chardonnay. This example is for lovers of buttery chardonnays and it offers apple, peach and tropical fruit notes in a toasty oak frame. A beautiful white wine.

Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2021 ($10-12). A very nice drinkable table wine with very pure plum and sweet cherry notes. The oak influence is very mild, allowing the fruit to shine.

Renacer Punto Final Reserva Cabernet Franc Organic Mendoza 2021 ($15-17). A great example of the potential of the cabernet franc grape. Ripe fruit with herbal berry notes. Reminds one of a good chinon from the Loire Valley.

Rodney Strong

The Rodney Strong Reserve Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2021 (Rodney Strong)

Rodney strong is an easy brand to find on retail shelves. They offer a wide-ranging selection of reasonably priced table wines that often over deliver. We recently tasted two tiers of their premium selections that impressed us.

The Rodney Strong Reserve Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2021 ($50) displayed very well-balanced notes of apple and pear with an enticing creamy finish. Smooth but balancing acidity created a beautiful package.

Rodney Strong also produces a tier of single-vineyard cabernet sauvignons that while expensive deserve consideration by super premium California wine aficionados. We tasted the 2018 single vineyard wines from the Rockaway, Alexander’s Crown and Brothers vineyards and enjoyed their exuberant abundance of fruit displayed and the boldness of their expression. The 24 months they spend in new French oak barrels impart a significant oak impression that will need some time to integrate. We recommend at least a 5-year slumber to fully integrate the oak and mellow these outstanding wines.

Penfolds

Penfolds 2021 Bin 407
(Penfolds)

We have met Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Australia’s fabled Penfolds, several times. The wines he shares from his vast collection are uniformly well-made and earn their wide praise. Besides the wine, we like Gago’s thirst for new adventures.

For decades, the self-proclaimed admirer of California cabernet sauvignons has been working on a unique collaboration to bring two country’s wine industry together.  His effort has finally come to market with the inaugural release of The California Collection.  It represents what we believe to be the only blend of California- and Australia-grown cabernet sauvignon.

We tasted the 2021 Bin 407 ($70) made entirely of grapes grown from vineyards in South Australia. This well-respected and historic selection has consistently complex and rich profile with dark fruit flavors. The label was launched with the 1990 vintage. It has good structure and depth.

We also enjoyed the Penfolds Bin 704 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($70) and the Penfolds Bin 600 California Cabernet Shiraz 2020 ($50).

Affordable Bordeaux

The five premier crus of Bordeaux cost well more than $500 and are unaffordable for most people. But there are plenty of under-$25 wines classified as cru bourgeois or in the Bordeaux Superieur appellation. Most of these wines often rely on merlot and are

Madame de Beaucaillou (Vivino)

delicious for current drinking

Some of the top producers also make a second wine from younger vines that we have found taste well beyond their price points. In particular, there are two we recently tasted side by side.

The Madame de Beaucaillou pays homage to the matriarch of the Borie family behind Ducru-Beaucaillou. The 2019 vintage uses grapes entirely from the Haut-Medoc for the first time.  It is a delicious, spirited wine with fresh cherry and currant flavors. At $25 a bottle, we bought a case.

Also at $25 is Margaux de Brane is a vibrant and merlot-driven gem that requires no additional aging to enjoy. It is another wine from Henri Lurton of Brane-Catenac. The fruit in this wine is very youthful – maybe from younger vines? — but exuberant and bright. It’s worth every penny.

Wine picks

MacRostie The Key Chardonnay 2021 (MacRostie)

MacRostie The Key Chardonnay 2021 ($75). Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen uses only the best grapes from three estate sources to craft this plush, hedonistic chardonnay. Floral aromas with melon and citrus notes.

Cuvaison Hedon Chardonnay 2021 ($70).  A part of its small lot tier from the Tai Estate Vineyard, this  Napa Valley chardonnay lives up to the origin of its name – hedonistic. Luxurious, opulent tropical fruit and pear notes with hints of butterscotch and vanilla. A good dose of oak too.

Cuvaison Methode Beton Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($50). Made from a musque and sancerre clone, this special sauvignon blanc is a treat for those who enjoy this grape variety. Winemaker Steve Rogstad uses concrete egg-shaped fermenters, which provides a creamy texture while preserving its aromas.

Andante Vineyard Aligote Willamette Valley 2021 ($35). New to us, this producer has one beautiful wine in this aligote. Great texture with creamy yet bright tangerine and peach notes. Floral with a bit of minerality.

Gamble Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($60).  Rich and fruit-forward in style, it shows off dark berry and tobacco aromas with jammy raspberry and plum flavors. Petit verdot, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec were blended with 80 percent cabernet sauvignon.

Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr, MoreAboutWine, posted on SouthFloridaReporter.com

Republished with permission

Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly wine column for more than 30 years. Additional Wine reviews on MoreAboutWine

All photos are randomly selected and do not indicate any preferred wine. Listed prices are subject to change and do not include tax or shipping.

You can send questions to Tom Marquardt marq1948@gmail.com

Always drink responsibly!

Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a wine column since 1985. They have traveled extensively to vineyards in France, Spain, Italy, Greece and the United States. Tom currently resides in Naples with his wife, Sue, where he conducts wine tastings. His web site is MoreAboutWine.com. Patrick is in the wine retail business in Annapolis, MD.