Falstaff Magazine (International)
Left: a typical Argentine cooked on smouldering wood. Above: the snow-capped Maipo Volcano rises to more than 5,200m/17,060ft in Mendoza.
THE SOUTH
Most of Argentine viticulture relies on high altitude plantings to mitigate intense daytime temperatures, but further south the dynamic changes. The Andes are lower and cooling breezes sweep across the land from the Pacific, bringing rain and humidity. Soils are richer and provide grazing land for cattle. The subregions of La Pampa, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Chubut and Trevelin account for barely 2% of the country’s vine plantings between them.
If there is a future for an entirely new style of Argentine wine, it is likely to hail from these cooler, southerly regions. Vibrant, pure-fruited Pinot Noir is made across Patagonia. Matias Riccitelli makes uncompromisingly fresh Semillion and ethereal Trosseau in Rio Negro, from old vines that bid their time in secret for more than 50 years. The most southerly vineyards in the country, perhaps the world, belong to Bodega Otronia. Wines are labelled Patagonia Extrema for good reason: the average temperature is cooler than in Chablis. Crisp Riesling, textural Pinot Grigio and steely Chardonnay retain vivid brightness, indelibly marked by the unforgiving climate. Spearheaded by many of its most famous winemakers and families, this is not a nod to fashion but the ongoing quest for the truth. The jewels of Argentina are found all across the country, in old vines, treasured vineyards; the soil of Argentina itself. They do not sit side by side as in Burgundy or Champagne in France but are tucked away in corners of a country as vast as it is beautiful. It’s a journey worth taking. Argentine wine has never been as exciting or dynamic as it appears today.
IF THERE IS A FUTURE FOR AN ENTIRELY NEW STYLE OF ARGENTINE WINE, IT IS LIKELY TO HAIL FROM THESE COOLER, SOUTHERLY REGIONS.