Argentina

[Blesso]

I went to an Argentinean steak house last night with a few mates, we proceeded to knock off a couple of magnums of Cab and Malbec from Mendoza. I visited Argentina a few years back and was blown away by the quality of the red wines, especially from Mendoza. The value for money for the red wine is outstanding and we struggled to find a bad bottle, last night reaffirmed this as both wines we had were outstanding, but of course we were paying restaurant prices.

Getting a little off topic the more I learn about wine and the pricing it really grates me with some of the prices the restaurants stick on there wine, last night was about a 300% mark up!
Anyway...this dinner last night sparked my passion again for Argentinean reds, so I'm on the hunt.
Is there anyone out there drinking Argentinean wine at the moment and if so have you had any crackers lately that would be worth a look.

Cheers,
Dayne

[dave vino]

This months Decanter magazine is a South American special.

[Blesso]

Cheers Dave I'll get onto it

[damonpeyo]

Went few of those Argentina Steakhouses in Amsterdam couple years ago, loved all their reds, wished wrote down, but had bit too much fun with local legal herbs, so memory was bit rusty.....

[Mahmoud Ali]

I don't know if the Trivento 'Golden Reserve' Malbec is available where you are but the bottle I bought in Hong Kong (no taxes on wine and spirits there) was very, very nice. It's about double the price here in Canada.

Cheers.................Mahmoud.

[conformistpete]

The US especially is enamored with cheap (relatively) Argentinian wines. About as much as they are with BBQ, which is a good thing.

[Softie]

I'd be interested in a (Melbourne) wine dinner featuring South American wines.

Would not matter that we needed to order in some wines - assuming many who'd want to attend have zero such wines. I've recently fallen for Malbecs courtesy of a visit to Cahor, Southern France with Waiters Friend.

John

[conformistpete]

Virginia Plain had a 10+ yr old Malbec from Cahors on their list. Was a fantastic wine that was still youthful and tightly wound.

This thread has encouraged me to open Aruma 2011 Malbec from Mendoza. I was going to have beer with my burger but....

[Peter Schlesinger]

What's not to love about Argentina. Tango, asadas, pisco sours and great value reds. Wouldn't be surprised to see Argentinian and Chilean wines raising their consumption profiles over the next few years as the market moves to the next interesting flavour.

[Mark Carrington]

Drank & thoroughly Susana Balbo Signature Malbec '10 at an Argentinian steakhouse last month. This week found & purchased some in a merchant. Not cheap but VFM.

[dalilacene]

bought many from Achaval Ferrer,
Here a little bit older great report(56 pages);
http://www.winesofargentina.org/blogUpl ... 110412.pdf

[Blesso]

Cheers mate looks good

[MarKofQuality]

Felipe Rutini Malbec 2007 ... mmmmmmmm
I see the 2009 is out and selling for around $35

[Gavin Trott]

.
Very tasty everyday type ... Jed Wines Malbec, very good entry level, very tasty.

Really Really Good!! ..... Bodega Colome Malbec 2010

and, for something excitingly different ... Bodega Colome Tannat 2010

Just a couple
.

[Blesso]

Cheers Gavin, the Bodega sounds like me...and the Tannat sounds very interesting I'll have to suss it out.

To get off topic, have you tried any Chinese wines, I have heard they are really giving it a red hot crack over there and would love to try some.

[sjw_11]

Cheers Gavin, the Bodega sounds like me...and the Tannat sounds very interesting I'll have to suss it out.

To get off topic, have you tried any Chinese wines, I have heard they are really giving it a red hot crack over there and would love to try some.

I wouldn't get too excited. I have tried the Great Wall brand, which is produced in vast quantities and it wont kill you but will make you stronger. Below is some views of the Dynasty "wine" stocked by Unky Dan... I am sure there are better examples (as there may be in England, India, Lebanon and all the other odd places you do find wine) ... but for me, I havent seen any evidence it is worth bothering.

Dynasty Merlot NV
Oh dear. Wine made from fake plastic trees. Its only redeeming feature was that it was mercifully dilute. Not for me.

The Dynasty Merlot was also a strange one, with conjecture that the bottle was probably worth more than the wine ($8.50 a bottle) and it was a big dreadnought style one you’d usually find on a $100 bottle of wine. It was quite simple and short, but for the price who is complaining.

Very volatile and stinky nose, varnish, tobacco and tar, shoe polish and diesel, red jellies, blue metal and white pepper; the palate’s medium-weight and just as smoky, short, weird, and downright nasty. China can keep this shit in its ridiculously heavy bottle

I would love to see Dan's adopt these on their website as the critic's reviews!!

[sjw_11]

In fairness to China, their state owned media acknolwedges the two brands I mention are woeful and claims smaller producers are better:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china ... 681524.htm

[Blesso]

This is what sparked my interest....Winery He Lan Qing Xue’s Jia Bei Lan 2009 Cabernet blend has won the Red Bordeaux Varietal Over £10 International Trophy.
Read more at http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/ ... X7o3A6V.99

[MarKofQuality]

The Chinese have spent a lot of time and money studying climatic conditions, soil chemistry and cultivation and winemaking techniques in France as well as Australia over the last 8 odd years. They are now producing world class wine and have won recent international recognition - the one you are referring to Blesso is the result. During the Mudgee / Hunter wine trip this year in May we had a lot of discussion with the Mudgee locals re : the Chinese vineyard owners - they keep to themselves and don't talk much with the locals. Just doing their own thing - unclear exactly what that is however ....
We'll see more of it on the international stage in the future.

[MarKofQuality]

...and the Tannat sounds very interesting I'll have to suss it out.

Pepper Tree make a Tannat from Wrattonbully - usually only used in a blend it is highly, highly, highly tannic - and not much else. That said, I've got some in the fridge

[Blesso]

I'm looking forward to trying some of the higher calibre Chinese stuff....just the name 'Tannat' sounds tannic, might need to sit in the cellar for 50 or so to be approachable!

[MarKofQuality]

I'm looking forward to trying some of the higher calibre Chinese stuff....just the name 'Tannat' sounds tannic, might need to sit in the cellar for 50 or so to be approachable!

I was informed by the lovely lady at pepper tree at the Hunter CD that the tannat simply won't get better with age - still will be tannic as all hell ....

I'm going to slip a bottle into a 10 glass multi-regional and aged v young(ish) Shiraz tasting we are having on the weekend and see what the crew make of it ....

[Blesso]

Sounds like it could be a bit of fun...let me know how the reaction goes

[Pej]

I was in South America last year and spent about 2 months in Argentina with half of that time in Mendoza. So I think I can be of some use in this topic. There is a great wine bar in Mendoza city which we visited several times a week and therefore became friends with the sommelier that worked there who gave us loads of great information as well as exclusive tastings.

Some favourites were:
Bodega Caro Malbec/Cabernet Blend - This is a joint venture between Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family.
Bodega Bressia Profundo Malbec/Cabernet/Syrah/Merlot Blend - Family owned and run. Only make small batches of wine. Only 8000 bottles of the Profundo are made per year.
Bodega Atamisque Assamblage Malbec/Cabernet/Merlot Blend - I don't know much about these guys but they make good wine.
Bodega Monteviejo Malbec/Syrah/Cabernet/Merlot Blend
Bodega Renacer Enamore Malbec/Cab Franc/Cab Sauv/Bonarda Blend
Gran Lorca Peotico Corte or the straight Pertit Verdot

It's funny that I went over with the intention of drinking loads of Malbec but I ended up in love with the Argentinian blends.

I tried plenty more but those are ones I keep an eye out for now I'm home. Unfortunately it's rare to find the smaller guys over here and if you do there is probably a giant increase in price.

[via collins]

I visit Buenos Aires each year, and have had a similar experience with regard to the blends versus straight malbec.

And it's been the sommeliers pushing me in that direction, a direction I am happy to be pushed in! There are moments when a straight malbec matches up magically with a lomo di biftek, or some Patagonian lamb from the grill, but by and large, a good blend offers a lot more interest on the palate.

The other vinous revelation for me was the heftiness of some of the malbec roses I tasted. Nothing quite like them at home, or in Provence.

I've given up the idea of tracking smaller bodegas in Australia - there must be something in the maths which does not make the effort worthwhile. Or perhaps the weight on those goddamn bottles is a business killer!

cheers.