Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer, and for 200 years the Spanish, the Italians and, more recently, the French, have been making wine there. However, a per capita domestic annual consumption of 90 litres had long prevented Argentinean wineries from looking beyond its country's boundaries. Now, with a rash of high-quality plantings of interesting varieties such as Malbec, Cabernet, Bonarda, Tempranillo, Torrontes and Sangiovese, together with a host of fine home and foreign winemaking talent who are heavily investing their time and money, Argentina's potential is being unlocked.
Its ever growing presence in both the on and off trade is thanks to great producers such as the Cassone family, who first arrived in Argentina from Piedmont in the 19th Century. Their enthusiasm, investment and top class 90-year-old vineyards, situated in the prime Drummond area of Luján de Cuyo in Southwest Mendoza, 950 metres above sea level, has resulted in wonderfully rich, ripe wines of complexity and substance that could be considered to be some of Argentina's true flag-bearers.
The wines from these regions run the gamut between easy drinking everyday wines to well-thought through, laboured over, finely crafted creations. Granted, the majority of production is centred around red, single varietal wines that offer great value for money, but there is an ever-increasing number of serious, quality-focused vintners who are making use of the exceptional terroir in these countries that have frequently been alluded to as a wine-growers utopia. The wines from these regions run the gamut between easy drinking everyday wines to well-thought through, laboured over, finely crafted creations. Granted, the majority of production is centred around red, single varietal wines that offer great value for money, but there is an ever-increasing number of serious, quality-focused vintners who are making use of the exceptional terroir in these countries that have frequently been alluded to as a wine-growers utopia.
Argentina's most highly rated Malbecs originate from Mendoza's various high altitude areas. Mendoza itself is tucked away beside the shelter of the Andean Mountains and a long way from the capital Buenos Aires but less than an hour from Santiago, the capital of Chile and its wine industry.
Argentina is obviously very well-known for its production of Malbec, and the reputation that it’s garnered is well-warranted - they do what they do very well. The majority of the wines here are big, fruit-driven and wonderfully inexpensive.
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