Tasting Chardonnays From Argentina And Some Georgian Wines

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

Most Americans identify the malbec grape as synonymous with Argentina. It is the most popular and most widely planted grape. Torrontes, a relative stranger to wine consumers yet native to Argentina, is the number one white grape grown. But chardonnay closely follows and has a wide variation in styles in a country with a myriad of terroirs.

Argentina’s wine-growing regions stretch from the north in Salta to Patagonia in the south — nearly two-thirds of the length of the country. Most regions hug the western Andes Mountains in areas with wide diurnal temperature variations and semi-arid conditions that are ideal for grape growing. In Argentina, the opposite of what you experience in the Northern Hemisphere, the farther south you travel the cooler it gets. Chardonnay finds a welcome home in the cooler foothills of the Andes and in the cool Patagonia region in the south.

We were favorably impressed with several chardonnays for their very high quality, relative value and their reflection of their growing conditions. Following are our tasting experiences:

Kaiken Ultra Uco Valley Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza 2022 ($25). French oak aged, zippy acidity with notes of baked apple and citrus. Nice finish.

Mascota Vineyards Unanime Mascota Vineyard Uco Valley Mendoza 2023 ($20-23). From a cool climate vineyard 4,200 feet in elevation, this wine exhibits big, rich tropical fruit and a creamy finish from the French oak aging and malolactic fermentation. A terrific package.

Trapiche Terroir Series Chardonnay Finca Las Piedras Single Vineyard Los Arboles Valle De Uco Mendoza 2021 ($50). Apple, mineral and citrus notes with a lovely underlying oak expression. The 2022 version of this wine presents a similar sensory profile but is a bit closed. You can hold for at least 1-2 years.

Otronia 3 and 6 Chardonnay Patagonia Extrema Argentina 2020 ($80-90). These grapes are grown about as far south as possible.  Estate-bottled and organic, this austere mineral-driven wine is for lovers of old-style chablis. Apple, mineral and a steely acidity present a package that should age well for at least five years. Try with shellfish.

Otronia 45 Degrees Rugientes Corte de Blancas Patagonia Argentina 2020 ($35). Estate is bottled and organic. This example is not 100 percent chardonnay, but we liked it so much we wanted to share it with our readers. Lovely peach, yellow plum and mineral notes present a lovely drink with a pleasant creamy finish. It is 45 percent chardonnay, 40 percent gewurztraminer and 15 percent pinot grigio.

Georgia wines

Georgia claims that it was the birthplace of winemaking with some recent archeological evidence to support their assertion. Almost 8,000 years of uninterrupted winemaking were nearly destroyed by the Soviet Union, but stubborn farmers and local winemakers preserved indigenous grapes and winemaking traditions.

Today, a vibrant winemaking industry thrives and is growing with the increasing availability of Georgian wines available in the United States.

Most of the Georgian wines we have tasted are crafted from indigenous grapes and are probably unfamiliar to American consumers. However, don’t let the unfamiliarity with label nomenclature discourage exploration. Although we can’t guarantee quality or compatibility with your taste buds, our tasting experience has yet to encounter an all-out dud.

Names of indigenous Georgian grapes can be tongue twisters. We thought Sicily’s rare native zibibbo grape was the most obscure grape we had encountered, but from Georgia we found shavkapito, saperavi, aleksandrouli and dzelshavi to add to our wine vocabulary.

We tasted three new wines, only one blend. The first was the Chateau Mukhrani Shavkapito Kartli Georgia 2020 ($25-28). A medium-bodied red wine with moderate 13.5 percent alcohol, it had rich, soft tannins and lots of berry and plum notes with a pleasant tartness. It was made entirely of shavkapito grapes.

The Wine Alphabet Saperavi Khakheti 2021 ($20-30) had the biggest fruit and densest color of our samples. Berry and cherry notes with a hint of tobacco. It was made entirely of saperavi grapes.

Villa Chven Aleksandrouli-Dzelshavi Racha 2022 ($24). These women-owned vineyards are located at 2,000 feet in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. A blend of aleksandrouli and dzelshavi grapes, this red wine delivers fruity notes of cherry and cranberry with soft tannins. Very bright and pleasing.

Prisoner

The Prisoner, one of the best-selling wine labels in the country, has released a new pinot noir to its lineup. The 2021 The Prisoner Pinot Noir ($50), is just a boisterous as the blends with that same dose of sweet fruit. This style of jammy, extracted wine is not our cup of tea, but we understand its popular appeal.

The pinot noir joins The Prisoner Red Blend ($52) and The Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon ($60).

Wine picks

Ratti Ochetti Nebbiolo 2022 ($32). This juicy wine, made entirely from Nebbiolo grown in the Langhe region of Italy, is a perfect wine to segue into cooler months. It’s light enough to accompany salmon but big enough to join that last barbecued chicken. Youthful cherry and strawberry notes.

William Hill Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast 2021 ($17).  Youthful black cherry and blackberry flavors with a hint of mocha.

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2021 ($24). Made mostly from sangiovese, this delightful wine has spirit. Bright red fruit flavors with a dash of mineral and crisp acidity.