My top 20: South American red blends
As research and vineyard development continue apace, winemakers in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay are producing a diverse range of accomplished red blends. Marina Gayan MW offers a snapshot of their work and picks her top wines from a tasting of more than 2
Argentinian Malbec, Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Uruguayan Tannat – if you think that’s all there is to South American wine, read on. At first sight, most of the blends here are centred on these varieties, but closer inspection reveals a more complex and exciting picture. The quality of red blends is undeniable, particularly in Argentina and Chile, where respectively 81% and 75% of the wines I tasted rated Highly Recommended or better. I don’t consider myself a generous scorer, so that sets an impressive standard. Of the small sample of Uruguayan wines, 40% scored at least Highly Recommended.
The top four wines are outstanding Bordeaux blends from leading producers in Argentina and Chile. Far from being mere imitations of their French counterparts, however, they all reflect in different ways the unique character of their origins.
In each country, at least one other variety has emerged as a successful partner to the classic blends. Cabernet Franc features in most of my preferred Argentinian blends; it reins in the roundness of Malbec and adds precision and definition to its structure. In Chile, Syrah shows up in three of the chosen wines, combining successfully not only with deep-rooted Cabernet Sauvignon but perhaps more interestingly with Carmenère, where it adds fruit and volume to the blend. In Uruguay, Merlot made the winning combinations, bringing flesh and mid-palate fruit to the more savoury Tannat.
Traditional varieties such as Bonarda in Argentina and Cinsault in Chile from revived old vineyards deliver fantastic value; expect to see more of these styles emerging. I found adventurous Uruguayan blends of Tannat with Portuguese Sousão or Spanish Tempranillo. And there are signs that Rhône varieties have started to succeed in Argentina: watch this space (see p95, Syrah panel tasting).
When it comes to origins, Chilean blends show great geographical diversity, here represented in six different valleys from the
Cabernet Franc
‘Cabernet Franc features in most of my preferred Argentinian blends; it reins in the roundness of Malbec and adds precision and definition’
far-north Limarí to Itata in the south; and Uruguay reveals the promise of emerging regions beyond traditional Canelones and Montevideo. In Argentina, on the other hand, mirroring the country’s vineyard distribution, the chosen wines concentrate around Mendoza, in particular the premium regions of Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo.
All of the progress of the last two decades – the pioneers, the drive towards quality, the search for cooler regions and a more hands-off approach in the winery with fresher fruit and less oak – has led to this moment. These 20 wines show the quality, style and diversity that South America can offer, and often at excellent value for money. It’s an exciting time to look again at South American red blends.