Check out Argentina for beguiling flavour
Such is the Irish love affair with the wines of Chile that its neighbour, Argentina, is way down the pecking order in this market. While Chile is number one, Argentina weighed in at ninth place the last time I checked the figures; we are Argentina’s seventh biggest market in Europe.
Argentina used to be one of the richest countries in the world and in the 1920s had what Boris Johnson would call a world-beating railway network, now largely redundant. While there was some tradition of making relatively serious wines, the emphasis in the 1980s and early 1990s, was on volume, becoming the world’s fifth largest wine producer.
As much as 95% of the country’s wine is produced in the vast Cujo province, where the Andes provide a cooling influence. The varying altitude of vineyards provide an environment that runs, in terms of climate, from Tuscany to Burgundy.
At high altitude, the increased ultraviolet light leads to grapes with thicker skins and, indeed, higher tannins, as the vine seeks to protect its seeds. But it’s interesting to think that many of Argentina’s red wine grapes get twice as much intense sunshine as those in Bordeaux, while altitude keeps temperatures down.
As a result, the best of the Argentinian reds have an impressive concentration of flavour and fruit combined with a surprising freshness and acidity. Malbec has become the national grape, of course, and the Argentinian expression differs greatly from how it performs in its original home of Cahors in Gascony where the wines can be tough and leathery.
While Malbec accounts for most Argentinian reds, Bonarda is a significant variety. It seems to have come from the Savoie in France where it’s known as Courbeau or Douce Noir. It can be vinified to be juicy and easy or considerably more serious. We don’t see enough Argentinian Cabernet Franc in Ireland. They are nothing like what we are used to from the Loire and, amongst other attractions, often have a really beguiling fragrance.
The best of them combine acidity and freshness