Vibrant Whites from the Cool Terroirs of Argentina

BY JOAQUÍN HIDALGO | AUGUST 16, 2022

There aren’t many places in the world where the vineyards are as continental as Argentina. Over five hundred miles from the Atlantic on the east and separated from the Pacific by the Andes on the west, the mountain valleys and deserts would seem to be the ideal place for reds. And they are, but this is Argentina we’re talking about; a country that’s forever been a melting pot of crazy new ideas, some of them rewardingly creative, others more on the destructive side.

Bodega Bemberg, in the heart of Gualtallary, Valle de Uco, works with Chardonnay from their estate vineyard planted following the mosaic soils of the area. With their avant-garde architecture, the winery opened in 2020.

If one looks at the wine scene in Argentina today, one of the most striking things about it is the number of whites being made. For this report alone, I tasted 370 bottles. That would have been unthinkable even a few years ago. We’re witnessing a process inspired by the continental nature of the region with producers opting decisively for a specific set of flavors that thrive here. In the white blend category, the boundaries become a little more blurred, but the core remains: these are concentrated whites – in contrast to the sea-influenced whites one finds in most of the rest of the world – where altitude and precise ripening allow for the preservation of heightened freshness, low pHs and fruity, ripe flavor profiles. The power and energy are reliably consistent beyond the variations that arose between the 2020s and 2021s, the former a warm year and the latter a cool one.   

The technical teams at the wineries are continuing to indulge their imagination to its fullest. Producers focusing hardest on whites are extensively experimenting; this includes everything from solera-aging with flor inspired by Jerez and Jura, to working dry Rancio wines in Roussillon and unusual varieties such as Marsanne and Riesling, wines with no added sulfites, co-fermentations of grapes you wouldn’t find together elsewhere, fermentation in different kinds of wood and exploration of the virtues of amphorae and Clayvers. Every bright new idea has a wine at the end of it. And yet, that’s also the Achilles heel of this new trend; while many of the white blends and Chardonnays are presenting distinctive new flavors, the inexperience of some producers and lack of focus mean that behind a vanguard of genuinely successful innovations, there follows a rearguard of less favored inventions. But that’s how creative processes work: trial and error.

The Agrelo Vineyard in Luján de Cuyo, owned by Susana Balbo Wines, in the early fall of 2022, shortly after the harvest. Balbo bottles some Torrontés that are redefining the varietal style using grapes from another vineyard, in the cooler Paraje Altamira.

The Three Key Pillars of the White Wine Trend

The white wine revival is structured around three key factors. The first is a degree of exhaustion in the domestic market with red wines. Today, local consumers are getting more excited by the novelty of whites (it is important to remember that Argentina is effectively closed to imports from overseas) and are interested in the new flavors being offered. This new market provides wineries with a forum in which to try out different styles; the best will then move on to the export market. The second key factor is that this trend coincides with the maturation of high-altitude vineyards. I have written about this before, but a refresher wouldn’t go amiss: between 1995 and 2020, new vineyards were planted at elevations between 3,300 and 5,250 feet, where conditions are as cold as those found in Burgundy and Champagne, but the sun is plentiful, and the soils are extremely varied. These include 3,200 hectares of whites in the Uco Valley (60% planted after 2000) of which Chardonnay is most prominent in terms of both quantity and quality. The third factor is more global in nature: not many countries are producing the style of continental but refreshing whites found in Argentina today, and it’s a segment that seems worth exploring. This has led some wineries to focus specifically on the export market. Together, these three factors are defining a trend that is growing in terms of both volume and range, with plenty of new wines appearing.

Bodega Riccitelli in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, produces whites from different high vineyards in the Uco Valley. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are planted up to 6,200 ft in the La Carrera district.

High-Altitude Chardonnay

Chardonnay accounts for the best whites reviewed in this report. This isn’t simply down to the variety’s cosmopolitan malleability. It’s also thanks to the talents of producers who have found ways to exploit that malleability successfully. The story revolves around a change of stylistic tack: over the past two decades Burgundy has been the model to follow in this part of the world. Whereas the elegance of the variety and adjustments to the aging process provided a base, adapting to a climate where the sunlight is intense and dry conditions mean that vines had to be handled quite differently. Nowhere could be more different to Burgundy than Gualtallary, San Pablo and Los Chacayes, currently the three most prestigious Geographic Indications in the Uco Valley, Mendoza. And yet, the Burgundian inspiration and new methods in the vineyard – allowing the vines to be bushier, with naturally lower yields due to the cold – have allowed for the production of similarly pure Chardonnays. The flavors range from green apple and fresh pear to hints of lime and herbs with subtle white flower notes. The core, however, has a vibrant concentration that is kept nimble by the freshness, ensuring that the hefty palate doesn’t get overbearing.     

None of that was true two decades ago, and achieving it required precise vineyard management in high altitude terroirs, protecting the grapes from the sun and planting in soils rich in calcium carbonate deposits (which are only found in very precise veins, they aren’t part of the general soil make-up). The result – to judge by austere wines such as 2021 Fósil and 2021 BenMarco Sin Límites or richer versions such as 2020 Adrianna Vineyard White Bones, 2020 La Linterna Finca El Tomillo and 2020 Viña Cobos Zingaretti Estate – is a set of world-class Chardonnays.

Fraçoise Lurton was planted at the beginning of the 1990's and was the highest vineyard of the GI Los Chacayes, Valle de Uco, up to 3,600 ft. One of the newest plots today, pictured above, is in the lower lands of the IG, where the highest vineyard reaches 5,300 ft.

Cambalache Blanc

In lunfardo, the traditional street jargon of Buenos Aires, cambalache means a vivid, if not garish patchwork. And it’s an excellent way to describe the voluminous category of white blends. A lack of well-defined boundaries gives producers plenty of creative leeway. Combining different terroirs and soil types – such as the high-elevation vines in Gualtallary and the low ones on clay soils of Agrelo –, playing with different altitudes for different varieties, and employing a range of techniques from direct pressing to the inclusion of stalks or reductive aging, producers are expanding the flavor possibilities. This means that one finds tense, austere whites such as the 2021 Tapiz White Blend Reserve Selección de Barricas or the 2021 Mauricio Lorca White Blend, alongside more unctuous versions and oak marked such as the 2021 De Sangre White Blend, the 2019 Rutini Antología LV and those in which the aging has more prominence such as the multi-vintage Paradoux VII Edition. This rich spirit of innovation has seen the emergence of unheard-of combinations such as austere Sauvignon Blancs with voluptuous Torrontés, but the best way for producers to guarantee success in their blends is to have a clear idea of the style they’re going for. In this report, you’ll find several jewels of this kind sewn into the patchwork.

New Life for Sémillon

Contrasting the previous two decades, which saw producers tearing out hectare after hectare of Sémillon, in the past five years, some have begun planting it again. Pockets in the vast mountain slopes of the Uco Valley include a hectare in Paraje Altamira, two in Gualtallary and one and a half more in Los Chacayes. These new vineyards owe their existence to producers’ renewed faith in the variety’s potential, which in turn is inspired by old vineyards planted in specific areas such as El Peral in Tupungato, Uco Valley, where 156 hectares of older vines can be found among the 617 planted. For this report, I tasted 15 Sémillons and a few white blends in which it is featured. If there’s one thing to be said about the grape, it is that it is difficult to handle: it rots easily, and determining its ideal ripeness is tough; however, if it is properly harvested and aged, Sémillon produces a range of delicate but full-bodied whites quite different from what one finds in Hunter Valley on its own, or Graves as a blend. It’s the kind of wine one chooses for a meal because it insinuates more than it puts on display. Of the versions I tasted, some are properly aged in barrels or (better still) foudres and present seductive aromas of honey, voluminous flow and vibrant but packaged acidity. Good examples in this report are the 2020 Certezas Sémillón, the 2020 Teho Sémillon and the 2021 Mundo Revés L’Ecume Sémillón. They will all improve in the bottle. 

Paraje Altamira is one of the strengths of Valle de Uco, both for whites and reds. The proximity to the Cordiller Frontal (here it reaches 18,000 ft) and the mosaic of soils built by the Tunuyán River are the keys to the wine freshness achieved in the area.

Cool Terroir Torrontés

According to DNA analysis, Torrontés is a grape native to Argentina, formed by a cross between Listán Prieto and Muscat of Alexandria in the 17th century. Torrontés is widely planted across the north of Argentina (3,200 hectares out of 7,400 overall), where it is grown in sandy soils and prized for its productivity. But this is exactly where it loses definition with high pHs that require added acidity and aromas of rose and orange blossom that make for a dense aromatic profile. However, over the past decade, some Torrontés vineyards have been planted in cool areas at the foot of the Andes on different soils (about 162 hectares). The aromatic qualities of the variety are also being explored with what one might call an Alsatian approach: when applied, the grape begins with a citrussy, herbal nose that is often joined later by basil aromas and when aged in foudres it develops a delicate, floral character. I tried a few Torrontés made in this style and believe it to be an interesting new direction. So far, production is limited, but the trend might well develop in the medium term, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. Some good examples are the 2019 Gran Enemigo Torrontés and the 2020 Alta Yarí Torrontés, both from Guatallary; as well as the 2020 Susana Balbo Signature Torrontés and her orange version. A pioneer in Patagonia, where the latitude makes for a cool climate, Riccitelli Old Vines Torrontés is a stylistic landmark. Further south, on the frozen steppes of Chubut, the 2020 Lagunar Torrontés is very much an Alsatian-style white. Getting back to the classics of the Calchaquí Valley – in the north of Argentina – a few made using modern oenological methods are pleasantly bracing on the palate. The 2021 El Esteco Old Vines is a perfect example.

The Rutini Wines experimental cellar is a laboratory where you can find the latest technology available; they have everything from terracotta amphorae to cement spheres to unique egg-shaped stainless steel tanks like the ones in the photo above.

Challenges for Whites and Rosés

Recently, like in the rest of the world, in Argentina Rosés have become more popular. But, while the technology and creativity are there, few so far have achieved enough complexity to excite the mind and palate. Most sit somewhere halfway, while very few truly delight. These Rosés tend to fail where plenty of whites fail too: the ripening point of the Bordelais varieties, in these climes, results in low levels of acidity with high pHs. Once this has been corrected with tartaric acid – which is completely legal in Argentina – if not well done, these Rosés take on a metallic or aspirin-like character at the back of the mouth. In a simple wine, this might be forgivable, but for one aspiring to be something more, it’s an issue. A potential solution might be to work with varieties with more acidity such as Garnacha (very few hectares are planted), and indeed some of the good Rosés are taking that approach. But at the moment, it’s more an indication of what is to come rather than a current market reality.

Even so, if there’s something that distinguishes Argentina from other regions, it’s creativity, which leads to an elegant demonstration of whites from unique terroirs one doesn’t find elsewhere in the world.

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