ARGENTINA

Some of the World’s most exciting wines are coming out of Argentina at the moment with a new wave of pioneering winemakers placing fruit and terroir at the forefront.

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*** RELEASED ***

Cheval des Andes

A New World wine where the First Growth influence is clear, Cheval des Andes is made with the expertise of Chateau Cheval Blanc & Terrazas de los Andes.  The signature here is Malbec from two exceptional terroirs - ungrafted old vines (planted in 1929 and 1945) blended with high quality Cabernet Sauvignon.  The high altitude vineyards experience great temperature variation throughout the day, yielding complex and expressive fruit. First made twenty years ago, the careful work in the vineyard and cellar has paid off, now with impressive velvety fruit and texture.

"There's more Cabernet here, so the aromatic expression can be something between 2017 and 2018, but Cabernet marks the palate a lot and makes the wine more age-worthy, as it provides the structure and length that the Malbec lacks. So, the wine might be less accessible when young and should develop slowly in bottle. It's tasty and supple and has the ingredients and the balance for what they are aiming for. In the following vintages, they follow this path, and Gabillet feels that having more precision allows the wines to reflect the differences between vintages better... The way they want to describe the wine is the Argentinean expression of Cheval Blanc. And I can only agree."

98 | Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate

*** AWAITING RELEASE ***

Catena Zapata

Lovers of the world’s finest Malbec will be delighted by the wines from Catena Zapata’s high altitude vineyards.

"This has a complex nose of baked blackberries, grilled plums, dried earth, moss, pine cones, sandalwood, charcoal and cloves. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Wow. So much going on. Layered, seamless and silky. Incredible length. Keeps going. 42% cabernet sauvignon, 30% malbec and 28% cabernet franc. Try this from 2024."

98 | James Suckling

"One of the most exciting wines of the September Releases, and one that captures the progress and interest around terroir in the Argentinian wine scene right now. This is set at 1,500m elevation, on limestone dominant soils, and it immediately sets itself apart by its soaring aromatics that give nuance and depth, with seductively curling peony and raspberry leaf. Powerful and full of character, somehow translates the idea of minerality that is so argued over in wine - here you feel it in the slightly chalky tannins, the pulses of electricity, and dried herb and fennel studding to the fresh raspberry and red cherry fruits. So good. Ungrafted vines, Fernando Buscema winemaker. "

100 | Jane Anson