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2021 in Argentina: An Unusual Year That Ended in Balance
featured, Argentina
, 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.
Argentina: New High-Altitude, High-Precision Whites
featured, Argentina
, 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.
Extreme High-Altitude Wines from Argentina's Northern Valleys
featured, Argentina
, Feb 2021
In the northwest of Argentina, there is a chain of magical valleys, weird and wonderful landscapes where the air at high altitude is so thin it can leave you gasping for breath. The endless deserts and ravines are, remarkably, producing wines of such extraordinary power that they rarely fail to seduce visitors to the area and connoisseurs much farther afield.
Collectable Argentina: Precision and Refinement in the Cellar
featured, Argentina
, Dec 2020
All serious drinkers collect wine. Some to commemorate significant moments, others, especially those with access to a cellar, because the vintages are of such quality that their value will accrue over time. Whatever the reason, it’s a significant and prestigious feather in the cap for a producer to make it onto a collector’s rack. No one would dare to question the merit of output from hallowed ground such as Pomerol or Barolo, and this is reflected in the wines' desirability and price tags. But what about other regions in the world? It’s often the case that collectors are skeptical about wines whose credentials seem to lack historical precedent. Generally, Argentina falls into this category although in many ways it is also a unique case unto itself.
Twenty Years that Transformed the Argentine Wine Industry
featured, Argentina
, Oct 2020
Mendoza Malbec is synonymous with easygoing reliability. The enormous constituency of US consumers, which ranges from New Haven to Houston, Phoenix to Milwaukee, drank 82 million bottles of Argentine wine in 2019 and sees Malbec as something you can slip into like a comfortable pair of old slippers. For these fans, I have both good and bad news.
2020 Harvest Report: Chile and Argentina
featured, Argentina, Chile
, Jul 2020
By the end of March 2020, almost every winery in Chile and Argentina had finished picking. Apart from a few small pockets, on both sides of the Andes the harvest was completed in record time. With ripening accelerated by a combination of climatic factors, and the looming threat of COVID-19 exerting pressure on work teams, we were presented with the unprecedented sight of bare vineyards at the end of March – generally not something you’d see until late April or early May.
Argentina's White Wine Revolution
featured, Argentina
, Jun 2020
In the spiritual homeland of Malbec, many of the most innovative new wines being produced today are white. One might be forgiven for thinking that winemakers are being deliberately contrary; however, over the past decade and a half, underneath wave after wave of reds, a revolution has been simmering away quietly. Chardonnays and Sémillons are now being produced that are every bit as good as some of the best Malbecs in the country.
Winemaking and Wine Marketing in a Plague Year
featured, New Zealand, United States: California, United States: Oregon, Italy, Argentina, Australia, France, General Interest
, May 2020
In just the past couple of months, the novel coronavirus has profoundly changed the production and sale of wine around the globe. In this roundtable interview, 35 producers get specific about the challenges they are facing.
A Revolution of Place: Argentina Classifies Its Terroirs
featured, Argentina
, Sep 2019
Until quite recently, one might have been forgiven for describing Argentina’s wine industry as a vast enterprise that made little distinction between different styles and terroirs. That is no longer the case. Producers in Argentina are going through their terroirs with a fine-tooth comb, hoping to discover outstanding sites that are capable of world-class wines.
Argentina Reaches New Heights
featured, Argentina
, Sep 2019
Despite economic tumult, Argentina is making better wines today than ever before, thanks to a recent string of very good to outstanding vintages, increasing vineyard plantings in cooler, higher-altitude sites, and winemaking techniques designed to produce fresher, better-balanced wines with clear site character.