With Argentinean wines the highlight of the July 5th Vintages release, including four wines from the B & W portfolio, now is the perfect time to talk about Argentina.
Once considered the “sleeping giant” of the wine industry, Argentina has for a long time been the fifth largest wine producing country in the world exporting a proportionately small amount of wine to the North American market. Over the last decade, there has been a gradual shift in focus towards quality.
With the introduction of modern wine making techniques, including the investment in temperature controlled steel tanks and new-oak barrels, the Argentinean wine industry has reinvented itself, creating a new pedigree of higher quality Argentinean wines that resulted in an almost immediate jump in North American wine sales.
At the centre of this rapid growth is Argentina’s largest and most important wine region Mendoza. Located directly east of Buenos Aires, Mendoza represents over 70 % of the total production of wine in Argentina with over 360,000 acres of grapes planted - considerably larger in size to Bordeaux.
The most popular grape from this region, Malbec, is a varietal from Bordeaux that has found its form in the rich soils and high altitudes of Argentina. Known for its velvety tannins, fruit forward taste profile, and its capacity for great depth and varietal variation, Malbec has become Argentina’s leading grape. The recent meteoric rise in popularity of Malbec is often paralleled to the success of Australia’s Shiraz. This has been due to the accessibility of Malbec wines and to their often excellent value. Argentina has also had success over the last few years with other popular varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, and to a lesser degree Merlot and Syrah.
For an introduction to the wines of Argentina, Bodegas Weinert, voted Winery of the Year in 2007 by Wine & Spirits, and in the words of Robert Parker, the maker of “South America’s greatest red wines - the qualitative equals of the finest reds in the world!” is an excellent place to start. Founded in 1975 by Don Bernardo C. Weinert, Bodega y Cavas de Weinert is located in Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina´s craddle for top quality wines.
The 2000 Bodega Weinert Cavas de Weinert (Available in Vintages | LCBO#: 61226 | $23.95 /btl) is Bodega Weinert's flagship wine. Under its deep ruby tone is an enormously complex wine with mesmerizing sweet, voluptuous blackberry fruit flavours permeated by vanilla, cigar box, and saddle leather aromas.
Also available, the 2003 Bodega Weinert Malbec (Available in Consignment | 12 bottle case | $18.95 /btl) 92 Points, Wine & Spirits is one of Argentina's top Malbecs: traditional with a claret-like structure not often achieved in the New World. Deep colour with a hint of liquorice and big, jammy, peppery fruit. Great length, full-bored and generous.
Another highly regarded winery from Mendoza, Finca Sophenia is owned and operated by Roberto Luka, formerly President of Wines of Argentina. The prestigious Winemaker Michel Rolland, who is internationally recognized, collaborates as consultant of Finca Sophenia since the first vinification took place. The estate’s vineyard is located in the Tupungato district at an elevation of 4000 feet.
The 2005 Sophenia Synthesis Malbec (Available in Vintages | LCBO#: 63339 | $33.95 /btl) is part of Finca Sophenia's premium "Synthesis label". 90 Points, Robert Parker: "The 2005 Synthesis Malbec spent 12 month in new French oak. Purple coloured, it has an excellent bouquet of cedar, wood smoke, violets, black cherry and blackberry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine made elegant style. Smooth-textured, ripe, and silky, it offers generous spicy flavours nicely concealing enough tannin to carry the wine for several years of further evolution. It should drink well through 2015."
The 2006 Finca Sophenia Malbec (Available in Vintages | LCBO#: 66837 | $16.95 /btl)is an excellent value wine from the Finca Sophenia label. The wine has intense deep red colour with violet hues. Complex aromas of plums and ripe cherries and violets. It is enhanced by the presence of dry fruits and mint hints. A wine of great concentration and complexity showing sweet and voluminous tannins.
The 2006 Finca Sophenia Merlot (Available in Vintages | LCBO#: 63412 | $17.95) has intense red colour. Great elegant aromas of ripe red fruits combined with herbs and mineral hints. It is a voluminous wine of wide sweet tannins. Vanilla and toast flavours appear in the aftertaste, conferring greater elegance.
By the case you can also buy the 2006 Finca Sophenia Cabernet Sauvignon (Available in Consignment | 12 bottle case | $23.00 /btl). It's an excellent example of the great things that Argentina has done with this varietal. Deep red colour. Intense aromas of red and black fruits, spicy and mineral hints melt with smoke and vanilla scents. A wine with complexity, structure and great elegance.