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A Is For Argentina: The Best From The Pampas Monday April 8, 2002 Speaker: Alfredo Bartholomaus, President, Billington Imports, South American Wine Authority Many expect that Argentina will soon surpass Chile as South America's premier wine country. Not only are excellent wines produced in Argentina, but since the country is still largely unexplored by wine enthusiasts, it is a cherry picker's paradise. Long content to produce wines for local consumption, Argentina is now expanding and developing a strong export market. Europeans and Americans have also seized the opportunity to have a good source of less expensive fruit, and have extended their holdings throughout the Mendoza Valley. The amount of wine produced is swelling exponentially every year. Wines are listed in the order of presentation. The 43 attendees was asked to vote for their favorite wine in each flight. Prices listed are retail, full mark-up, in New York City. Notes are a combination of the speaker's and Kim Ginsberg's. Ms. Ginsberg is a wine consultant and a Nw York City based wine educator. Flight I: White Wines Votes Full Retail $ Michel Torino, Torrontes, 2000 The second most widely planted grape in Argentina this grape usually offers us a beautifully floral little wine, light, clean, crisp, with just a touch of spice and honey. This wine, although having a light straw and bright color and that unmistakeable nose somewhere between chenin blanc and gewurtztraminer, was so heavy with alcohol that it ruined this otherwise perfect aperitif. A lasting alcohol burn that was overpowering. 27 $8.50 Santa Ana, Chardonnay, 2000 Dull straw color, missing the brightness of the Torrontes. Sweet vanilla wafer cookie nose from too much oak. No fruit, no middle, and a hot finish. 13 $7.00 Flight II: Assorted Red Wines Trumpeter, Syrah, 2000 The Rutini family has been producing wines in the Mendoza Valley since 1885, bringing with them all the wine traditions of their Italian homeland. Not a new varietal to Argentina, syrah vines were introduced, along with malbec and bonardo (charbono) over a hundred years ago. This wine had a dense, deep, black garnet color, unmistakeable varietal spice nose but overwhelmed by sweet fruit, raspberry jello and oak aromas. The plushy sweet fruit followed in the taste, but was saved in the finish with some delightful, fresh acidity. 25 $8.99 Santa Julia, Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon, 1999 This wine, made by the Zuccardi family, long established producers in Argentina, shows off it's malbec in the distinct coffee hue in an otherwise, deep garnet color. The nose is explosive with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. A rich, full and satisfying wine, the cabernet is nicely softened out by the malbec. 15 $7.50 Flight III: Cabernet Sauvignon Familia Zuccardi, Cabernet Sauvigon, 1999 This 100% Cabernet from the Mendoza Valley has an irresitable glow! It gleams with a ruby dark garnet color. A rather shy nose, sweet fruit smells, of course, ample French oak and a lively bit of volatile acidity. This is a big, rich, smooth, chocolately-oaky wine. 14 $10.00 Navarro Correas, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000 Appears older than the previous wine with more of a coffee color, usually representative of malbec. An odd, but not necessarily (at least to me) unpleasant mix in the nose of bright acidity and burned coffee. Not as viscous or oaked as many of the wines, showing a good acidity -- just wish the finish were longer. 7 $15.00 Terrazas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva, 1999 This winery is owned by Moet & Chandon, who also produce an Argentinian sparkling wine. Their cabernet has a brooding, dense color seeming more like black cherry syrup than wine. The nose is full of oak--toasted oak--burned oak--charred oak and cherries. The wine is overly sweet, with flavors of charred oak and burned coffee-caramel. The favorite in this flight. 23 $16.00 Flight IV: Malbec Transplanted here from Bordeaux where it is blended to add color to the wine, it shows off a prettier, plummier wine in Argentina, than when bottled as the main grape in the often austere and stern wines of Cahors. Elsa, Malbec, 1999 True to its variety deep color. I found the nose to be vegetal but also with hints of dried herbs like violets and oaky, but Alfredo said that there was no oak in this wine. The aromas carried forth into unusual flavors of dried herbs and flowers. Marred by a vegetal taste and a hot finish. 3 $8.00 Trapiche, Malbec, 1999 Very dark color, similar vegetal nose (was this an unusually ripe vintage as it is some rotten fruit smells?) but also with that distinctive yet elusive dried flowers perfume scent. A little chocolate kiss finish and a little alcohol smack as well. 5 $7.00 Alamos, Malbec, 2000 Lighter color, not quite as dense and a nice, appropriately youthful, purpliness. Wonderful aromas of sweet honeysuckle and dried violets--are we in Provence? Yes, there is oak (French) but there is also interesting, firm fruit and very nice acidity. 34 $11.00 Valentin Bianchi, Malbec, 1999 This wine is from one of the largest wineries in Argentina, which first produced wines in 1928. The ruby color makes its shy nose of dried violets and dusty aromas surprising. An overripe, flabby wine with no structure and a sweet candy finsh. It spends a year and a half in French oak, hence the price. 0 $14.00 Felipe Rutini, Malbec, 1997 This is a reserve wine offering from the Rutini family. This malbec spends 2 years in French oak and is held back 1 year in bottle before it is released. The color is a deep, dark garnet. It has a Jimmy Durante oak nose, which almost threatens to obliterate the rotten vegetable flavors beneath it. Did it rain that day or did they leave the fruit to ripen too much, I don't know, but maybe all that oak actually saved the wine. 7 $19.00 Catena, Malbec, 2000 Dark but dusty color with a bit of purple added. Oak nose, little else. Very pleasant, but simple, easy drinking wine with a surprisingly short finish. Slight vegetal quality sneaks through. 36 $23.00 Top