Argentina is really good

4:20pm Thursday 11th October 2007

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September marks the restart of the wine tasting season and following the dry summer', it generally can't come soon enough. Not all tastings though generate much enthusiasm. You have to drink a lot of frog juice to strike liquid gold.

The recent annual Wines of Argentina tasting was one of those rare occasions when nearly everything tasted good. I was truly excited by the quality and diversity of the wines on show and my long-term enthusiasm for this country's wines seemed, finally, justified.

In terms of their presence in the UK market, the wines of Argentina haven't achieved the same sort of public awareness as those of their Andean neighbour, Chile. Where Wines of Chile long ago established an office to look after its interests in the UK, Argentina only finally managed to get its act together in the last couple of years.

There have been the obvious economic challenges and the fact that Argentina has created fewer wine brands than the Chileans hasn't helped either. James Forbes, the head of Wines of Argentina in the UK, acknowledges that our awareness of Argentinian wines falls some way after that of "tango, gauchos, football, beef and Buenos Aires . . ."

Here, then, is my view on Argentinian wines: they're great, really and truly terrific and we should all be drinking them in significantly greater quantities than we are at the moment.

The winemaking talent is evidently there and the country boasts an enviable climate. It's true that the vineyards are planted at altitudes of up to 2,400 metres but here the hot daytime temperatures are moderated by the low overnight temperatures which produce flavour-packed, ripe grapes.

Vineyards have little disease to worry about and the Andes provide abundant water. It's a near-perfect place to make wine.

There are several things that I particularly like about the wines. First and foremost, there are two red grape varieties that they are making their own. The first of these is malbec.

d=3,3,1The Argentines have been so successful with malbec that few realise that it actually originates from the south west of France. It has to be said, however, that the quality of the malbecs I tasted a few weeks ago makes this fact barely relevant.

I tried more than 50 malbecs and my only quibble was an occasional tendency to over-oak and let the wines drift out of balance with too much alcohol. The majority, though, desisted and the results were terrific. You can't help but love the rich, purple colour that they give; the red fruit - almost floral aromas - and the intense, moreish flavours that these wines have. Prices range from the fantastically good-value to the slightly pricier for the really top-notch stuff; but again, I nearly always found the wines to be competitively priced.

The Bonarda grape is sitting quietly in the background and I'm willing a brave Argentinian producer to grasp the bull by the horns and make it their flagship' wine. It's a tad more fickle than malbec. It's late-ripening and needs a toasty, warm spot in which to thrive. If it's harvested too soon it's green and leafy. Ripe, it can truly triumph and has the qualities to be a star-performer. I've got my eyes and taste-buds open.

I've left mention of Argentina's white variety until now because I feel the need to be honest.

It's a love it or hate it' grape. I've never found anyone who can sit on the fence about torrontés. But, to know, you have to try it.

I set aside my reservations for the day and did tuck into a dozen or so. It's floral, sometimes lightly spicy and, when made carefully, refreshing too. I cannot imagine torrontés with food - even if you love it. It's got to be an apéritif or a party wine.

There is the usual host of international varieties, such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, too. And there's not much wrong with those either.

I tell you now - without a word of a lie - that I came away from the tasting upbeat and optimistic about the country's wine-future. I truly hope you'll not be shy in giving them a bash.

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