Wine & Food Feature - The Argentine's Fine Wines
Argentina's One-Two Punch
One grape and one man are leading the country's march toward wines of quality and character.
By James Molesworth Wine Spectator, March 24, 2003
Can Argentina fulfill its potential and produce world-class wines? The answer is an emphatic yes, thanks to the Malbec grape in general and the wines of Nicolás Catena in particular.
The 68 Argentinean Malbecs that I tasted over the past year confirm the findings of my last report (see "True Colors") on the region: Malbec is clearly Argentina's strong suit, and, dollar for dollar, the country's bottlings of this variety make up one of the world's most distinctive groups of wines.
Meanwhile, Catena's portfolio, from the value-priced Álamos line up through the Catena, Catena Alta and Catena Zapata wines, provides the country's broadest and best-scoring range of quality, with many of the wines made in ample quantity. The question facing Argentina now is, Can Catena's colleagues follow suit, or will the wine industry there be a one-man show?
For this report, I have reviewed 183 wines, 18 of which rate 90 points or better on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale--the best showing yet for this still-developing region. Nine of those 18 top wines are Malbecs or Malbec blends.
Malbec was originally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, for its deep color and firm tannins. It is rarely seen in today's Bordeaux blends, and the grape's French home is now the southwest appellation of Cahors, where Malbec makes firm, structure-driven wines.
In Argentina, the high elevation of the vineyards produces an altogether different version of the grape, with vivid plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit; meat and spice notes; and sweet, lush tannins. Think of it as Argentina's version of Zinfandel, but with more depth and polish. Thankfully, most wineries have elected not to produce a heavily extracted, high-alcohol style of wine and instead are allowing Malbec's focused fruit and unique range of flavors to shine.
Recent vintages (1999 through 2001) have all been good to outstanding. And early indicators point to '02 as Argentina's best vintage in a generation, particularly for Mendoza, the country's premier wine-producing region.
The best wine from my tastings is the stunningly dense yet pure and defined Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata Mendoza 1999 (93 points, $90). This blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Malbec is the best wine yet from Catena and his winemaker José Galante, and it sets a new benchmark for quality (and price) in Argentina.
In fact, almost all the country's top wines are made by Catena's Bodega Catena Zapata winery (formerly called Bodegas Esmeralda) or by other wineries to which Catena is connected. The consistently very good to outstanding Tikal and Luca wineries are owned by Ernesto and Laura Catena, Nicolás' son and daughter, respectively. They also employ the same winemaker, Alejandro Sejanovich. In addition, Pedro Marchevsky, Catena's longtime vineyard manager, runs his own winery, BenMarco, while Marchevsky's wife, Susana Balbo, former export manager for Catena, is a winemaker with an eponymous label.
Catena himself has ownership interest in several other wineries, such as Bodegas Escorihuela and Familia Rutini. Catena has also debuted his first joint venture, called Caro. A 50-50 partnership with the France-based Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), Bodegas Caro introduced its first wine, from the 2000 vintage, at the end of 2002. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, it rates 90 points. Interestingly, the wine is very much in the Lafite style, with elegant cedar and vanilla notes, as opposed to the full, rich style of Catena's own wines.
Once you step outside the immediate Catena "family," however, the number of top wineries is limited. They include Achával-Ferrer, Viña Doña Paula (owned by Chile's Santa Rita), Paul Hobb's Viña Cobos, Michel Rolland's Bodega San Pedro de Yacochuya and the Domaine Chandon-owned Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes.
Though few in number, the top wineries continue to elevate their quality. Focusing primarily on Malbec and employing modern vinification techniques to unearth the potential in their vineyards, these wineries released some compelling wines during the past year. They include the Achával-Ferrer Malbec Mendoza Finca Altamira 2000 (91, $85), Tikal Malbec Altos de Mendoza Amor'o 2000 (91, $30), Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Mendoza Gran 1999 (90, $38) and BenMarco V.M.S. Mendoza 2000 (90, $32).
Value Malbecs abound as well, with numerous very good or even outstanding bottlings priced at $15 or less. Look for the Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2000 (90, $15), Bodegas Escorihuela Malbec Mendoza Don Miguel Gascón 2001 (87, $10) and Viña Doña Paula Malbec Luján de Cuyo Los Cardos 2001 (87, $9). Bodega Norton shone this year with some improved Malbecs, including its Malbec Mendoza Reserve 2000 (89, $15).
There is more to Argentina than just Malbec. Cabernet Sauvignon makes outstanding wines there, while grapes such as Bonarda (a round, plummy, fleshy grape similar to Italy's Barbera) and Syrah also add to the country's range. The Susana Balbo Syrah-Bonarda Mendoza Crios 2001 (89, $15) and Valent'n Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon San Rafael 1999 (89, $14) offer character and value.
Argentina's white wines are generally less dynamic than its reds, though some fine Chardonnays can be found. Examples include the Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay Mendoza Catena Alta Adrianna Vineyard 2000 (91, $32) and Chardonnay Mendoza Catena Agrelo Vineyards 2001 (90, $20), along with the Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes Chardonnay Tupungato Reserva 2001 (89, $15). Torrontés, a spicy, Muscat-like grape unique to Argentina, has garnered some enthusiasm, but most of the bottlings that I have tasted show a waxy, slightly blowsy side.
Throwing a monkey wrench into Argentina's burgeoning wine industry is the country's recent economic crisis and the dramatic devaluation of its peso. In recent years, many of the wineries that had been producing for the domestic market re-equipped themselves, while others started from scratch--all aiming at the expanding export market. Whether these retooled and nascent wineries can survive the sudden economic downturn and match the quality that Catena and the other handful of elite wineries are currently producing is an open question.
Luckily, many wineries have the advantage of earning foreign currency, and with the devaluation of the Argentinean peso making the country's exports more attractively priced in foreign markets, its wine industry could be a factor in Argentina's economic recovery.
"If you invest now, it's with a very weak peso, which you can then get dollars for," explains Donald Hess, whose new Colomé project will be releasing its first wines later this year. But not all wineries are taking advantage of the opportunities. Some of the region's large, widely distributed companies, such as Trapiche, Bodegas Balbi, Santa Julia, Marcus James and Fincha Flichman, continue to produce lackluster wines. This, like the economic upheaval, is slowing Argentina's progress.
Still, there is plenty to be optimistic about. Hess' Colomé has the potential to bolster the group of top wines; so does Carlos Pulenta, whose family owned Trapiche before its sale in 1997. Pulenta's Bodegas Salentein debuted its first set of wines recently, highlighted by a solid Malbec Mendoza 2001 (88, $18).
Argentina's wine producers have a lot to work on, but they also have a lot to work with. If the wineries can forge ahead and use quality as their ultimate barometer of success, consumers will soon have a steady stream of appealing wines coming their way--a stream that can offer an impressive combination of character and value.
James Molesworth is Wine Spectator's New York-based tasting coordinator and lead taster of Argentinean wines
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