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The 2023 Harvest in Argentina: Throwing Out the Playbook

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, May 2023

The 2023 season was uneven, marked by frosts, extreme heat and more unpredictable weather caused by the La Niña phenomenon. To succeed this year, producers had to throw out the playbook and improvise.

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Luján de Cuyo: Old Vines and a Patchwork of Soils

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Jan 2023

Luján de Cuyo is a historic region that is reinventing itself and looking to a terroir-based future. This report covers the relaunch of the first D.O.C. in South America, several new Malbecs and a handful of old vintages, exploring how a region with much to offer is making the most of its best qualities.

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Argentina: Making It Work with Resilience and Stylistic Ingenuity

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Nov 2022

In an uncertain world, resilience and ingenuity have allowed Argentine producers to assemble a delicious patchwork of wines from the ends of the earth. This report shares the latest news from the terroirs of the Uco Valley, offers tips about some alternative varieties from the east of Mendoza, highlights up-and-coming regions to look out for and presents an in-depth look at a handful of new trends and styles, reflecting a scene as varied as it is alluring.

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Vibrant Whites from the Cool Terroirs of Argentina

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Aug 2022

Argentina is enjoying a resurgence in white wines. After several decades in which the focus has been on reds, producers have been exploring new, creative territory based on bringing out the best of the country’s cool, continental sites. The result has been an explosion in new approaches, several of which have produced excellent wines, but others have not fared so well.

5 by april 22  the weather was autumnal at the piedra infinita vineyard in paraje altamira. the different colors reveal changes in the soil make up.

2022 Argentina: A Harvest That Challenged Producers’ Skills

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, May 2022

It is pretty unusual that in mid-April there aren’t many grapes left to harvest in Argentina, where winery doors typically close in early May. For better or worse, unusual weather makes for an unusual vintage. Overall, the 2022 harvest can be summed up as one of great quality. Bumps in the road could be overcome by good decision-making and precise timing.

Trevelin is a forested region where summer frosts aren%e2%80%99t uncommon. this photo was taken at casa yagu%cc%88e on march 11  2021  a month before harvest. the snow on the peak in the background fell that afternoon.

Patagonia: A Dispatch from the End of the World

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Mar 2022

From the Río Colorado to Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia spans the southern half of Argentina. The wine industry here has waxed and waned at different periods over the 20th and 21st centuries. One can find old vineyards planted in former riverbeds alongside brand-new vines growing right out on the steppe. With the historic allure of an ancient frontier, wines from these southern terroirs offer a range of different characteristics. Following three separate trips and 164 wines tasted in December 2021, this is my dispatch from the end of the world.

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Argentina on the Couch: Malbec, Terroir and Other Trends

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Nov 2021

In this extensive report, I take a look at the current state of the wine scene in Argentina, a country where creativity is necessary for survival. Malbecs have grown increasingly diverse and reflect the range of terroirs, while a number of new trends are developing. From Cabernet Franc to Pinot Noir, high altitude vineyards are lending real energy and quality to a host of different reds.

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Enduring Precision: The Latest Cellar-Worthy Wines from Argentina

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Nov 2021

Precise management of high-altitude vineyards has resulted in new, attractive, balanced reds with excellent cellar potential that draw on Argentina’s long winemaking heritage. Some négociants from Bordeaux are already selling a few of them across the world, paving Argentina’s way into the fine wine market. In this report, I present an overview of the latest cellar-worthy wines.

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2021 in Argentina: An Unusual Year That Ended in Balance

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Aug 2021

The 2021 season in Argentina undermined the long-held idea that nothing much changes year by year. With higher than average rainfall and lower temperatures, those who interpreted the conditions well are celebrating a sublime equilibrium in their wines. Producers also reported substantial differences between the various regions up and down the Andes. Early indications are that 2021 was an excellent year for Cabernet Sauvignon, the best of the past eight, and for reds in general.

La carrera is the most extreme terroir in the uco valley. as high as 1950 meters above sea level  and with a climate as cool as champagne  it contains a few scattered vineyards planted mainly with white varieties.jpg copy

Argentina: New High-Altitude, High-Precision Whites

featured, Argentina

Joaquín Hidalgo, Jun 2021

Captivating. That’s the word for many of the white wines being produced in Argentina today. A new kind of Chardonnay is being crafted in the mountain vineyards of Argentina based on lively freshness and pure, ripe fruity flavors. The interpretations of these extreme terroirs being developed by an insightful group of producers are raising the bar for the variety in a country best known for its Malbec. Meanwhile, old Sémillon vines are being rediscovered in the more traditional regions and some excellent sparkling wines are popping up all over the country.