Taste of Argentina

One of the biggest wine success stories at the turn of the millennium is indisputably Argentina. Amazingly, the country is the fifth largest producer in the world, behind only Italy, France, Spain and the USA. But until recently many UK wine drinkers knew nothing of Argentine wine, because its huge output was lapped up by a thirsty domestic market. In any case, its dull, tired whites and tannic, rough reds were not suitable for export.

How times have changed. A new generation of winemakers has modernised the country's wineries, installing hi-tech equipment and planting top-grade vineyards.

Argentina has stormed on to the world's shop shelves with exciting, fruity whites and impressively rich red wines. It makes a wide range of wines, but its specialities are Torrontés, a spicy, aromatic grape that makes exotic dry and off-dry whites; Bonarda, which creates juicy, soft reds; and Malbec, a velvet-smooth, concentrated, black-cherryish grape that has caught the imagination of those bored by Cabernet.

Argentina has also won praise for its pure Chardonnay, gutsy Syrah, and fine Bordeaux blends. The main wine-producing area, around the city of Mendoza, near the foot of the Andes, is a green oasis that now buzzes with wine buyers, critics and connoisseurs from around the world.

So, should we believe all the hype? Is Argentine wine really as exciting as wine merchants would have us believe? How does it compete with Chile or Australia, for example, and why should restaurateurs put more South American wines on their already overcrowded lists? Caterer decided to examine this fin-de-siäcle phenomenon and find out.

The tasters

We tasted 35 wines from Argentina in the elegant surroundings of Charlton House in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Our expert panel included Nick Borst-Smith, owner of the Nobody Inn near Exeter; Alison Blick from Charlton House; Joel Lauga, wine buyer for Great Western Wine, Bath; Clare Liston, manager of the Olive Tree restaurant, also in Bath; Susy Atkins, wine writer; and Fiona Sims, Caterer's wine editor.

The wines ranged widely in style, from light, spicy whites through to richly oaked Chardonnays, and from easy-drinking Bonarda blends and Pinot Noir to blockbuster Syrahs and Malbecs. The majority came from the Mendoza area, although some were from other parts of the country that are worth watching, notably Rio Negro, further south in Patagonia, and La Rioja, to the north-west of Mendoza. We tasted the wines blind.

What we found

"I'm impressed," declared Borst-Smith. "These wines are better than I expected, particularly the reds, and I now think there is more variety coming out of Argentina than Chile."

Tasters were in particular agreement about the high quality of the red wines, which received much higher marks than the whites.

Lauga sounded a more cautious note about the red wines: "The wine-makers must try to get more depth of flavour. At the moment, the bright, deep colour is the most exciting characteristic." Even so, he, too, praised the country's "variety and range".

Of the reds, the panel singled out the Bonarda blends as "attractive Beaujolais lookalikes". These soft, juicy reds are inexpensive and would make good early-drinking house wines.

But it was the Malbec that wowed our judges. The results indicate that this really is Argentina's star turn - a delectable mouthful of ultra-smooth blackcurrant and cherry with excellent depth of colour and flavour. Nearly all the Malbecs in the tasting received high marks and plenty of praise.

However, the white wines came under fire. "With one or two exceptions, they are very mundane," said Borst-Smith. "I certainly found them significantly less exciting than the reds - clean and modern, but boring."

On a more positive note, the panel found the best wines were agreeably food-friendly. Many tasting notes included an interesting food match. According to our panel, Torrontés would be a good accompaniment for Oriental food, for example, or Malbec with steak or lamb - even chocolate desserts.

So, does Argentina live up to the hype? The panel agreed, cautiously, that it does. Certain styles, such as Malbec, show the country's wine at its best. A good example of Argentine Malbec would certainly be a fine addition to any decent list.

Still, it was felt that Argentina still has some way to go. "It certainly has huge potential," summed up Lauga, "but I don't think that has been entirely exploited yet." Our report? Argentina is doing well, but it could achieve even more with time. n