I recently hosted a tasting of Malbecs from different terroirs for local industry wine nerds. Of course everyone knows that Mendoza is the region in Argentina for Malbec but we wanted to explore how Malbecs varied region to region within Mendoza as well as check out Malbecs from the two other main Argentine regions, Salta and Patagonia. What we found was terroir- the wines changed with their geographical locations.

Coming from the French word for “land”, terroir can best be described as the particular geography, geology, and climate of an area that informs the finished product.  With advanced technology and modern winemaking techniques, terroir can often be covered up or deemphasized, but these particular wines were coming from regions so different that the wines had no choice but to show their origin to some extent. The tasting covered Mendoza’s three main regions: Maipu, Lujan, and Uco Valley, as well as wines from Cafayate, Salta and Rio Negro, Patagonia. We tasted in order from lowest to highest altitude.

The lowest altitude vines in Argentina also lie in one of the worlds most southernly wine regions- that of Patagonia. Here, Rio Negro and Neuquen are the main wine areas, home to a mere thirty some wineries on the cold, windy terrain. Pinot Noir and Semillon are the specialties here but some interesting Malbecs are also being produced. From this region we tasted the 2007 Humberto Canale Estate Malbec, a light bodied, markedly spicy, smoky Malbec with a timid fruit expression.  Cool climates tend to produce leaner wines, and this was one of the leanest Malbecs I’ve ever tasted.

Next up were Malbecs from Maipu (2008 Dona Silvina) and Lujan de Cuyo (2010 Zuccardi barrel sample).  These grapes are grown between 800-950 meters above sea level in higher, warmer, dry areas. From these regions, Malbec grapes tend to ripen more quickly and are more likely to display riper fruit characteristics and more leather or cooked fruit notes. While the Dona Silvina showed a notable amount of mature fruit and leather notes, the Zuccardi barrel sample from a slightly higher altitude showed more concentrated ripe fruits with red plum and hints of red flower.

Uco Valley came through with terroir typicity in the just-released 2009 Altos Las Hormigas Terroir Malbec.  At about 1200 meters high, Uco Valley tends to produce Malbecs of great concentration with marked violet aromas and fresh fruit characteristics.  The high altitude means greater sun exposure, leading to developed fruit flavors. It also means low nighttime temperatures, which allow the grapes to rest and develop acidity which helps with structure. These wines are often described as “muscular” with sweet fruit up front and firm tannins on the finish. Altos from Vista Flores displays a deep ruby color with marked violet aromas and fresh cherry on the nose. Rich and bursting with fresh fruit on the palate, this young wine’s tannins are still aggressive, but will mellow with age.

Cafayate high-altitude vineyards

We finished with the 2009 Coquena from San Pedro de Yacochuya out of Cafayate, Salta, home to the highest vineyards in the world. These grapes are grown at 1700 meters above sea level and thus show similar levels of concentration to the Uco Valley grapes. However, instead of pronounced violet aromas, the Saltanean Malbec shows pronounced green and black pepper aromas with plenty of sweet dark fruit on the nose as well.  With dry tannins and a rich mouthfeel, there are more savory notes in this Malbec than any of the others. I couldn’t help but start thinking about pairings.. venison with thyme and sweet potato?

Overall it was an interesting look into how vastly Argentine Malbec can vary from region to region. I am personally most impressed with the Malbecs coming out of the high altitude regions of Uco Valley and Cafayate.  They show strength and concentration with plenty of fruit but ample acidity to balance. As Argentine wines become more well known, look for these sub-regions to start showing up more on bottles. Labels that used to say “Mendoza” will start reading “Uco Valley” or “Agrelo”.  The good news is that the differences in terroir will become more noticeable the more wine you drink!

Share this: