Argentina must push ‘more than Malbec’ message

Argentina needs to look beyond Malbec to promote its wines, with Petit Verdot and Torrontés two of the country’s most interesting alternatives, a US-born producer has said.

Gauchezco’s 100% Reserva Petit Verdot, partly aged in Hungarian oak barrels

“Malbec got Argentina’s foot in the door but it has a lot of potential with a number of other varieties; Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Torrontés”, said US-born Eric Anesi, who founded the Gauchezco Winery in Mendoza in 2007, speaking to the drinks business.

“I don’t feel that Argentina is going to get pigeonholed, but we are not just Malbec. We can compete with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and other varieties, on the worldwide market.”

In the UK, sales of Argentine Malbec have seen strong and consistent growth. During the 52 weeks ending 5 December, value sales of Argentine Malbec grew by 24%, compared to still wine as a whole which declined in value by 0.88%, according to the latest IRI statistics. By volume, sales of Malbec grew by 26% during the same period, compared to a decline of 1.5% for still wines as a whole.

While Malbec has done a huge service for Argentina, Anesi is keen to highlight the country’s less prominent varieties, pointing toward Gauchezco’s 100% Petit Verdot which it produces as part of its Reserva range.

Accounting for less than 1% of Argentina’s total vineyard share, Petit Verdot is most commonly used within blends, particularly in Bordeaux where it is considered a late-ripening grape. However in warmer climates it is able to ripen earlier, allowing for greater consistency.

“There aren’t a lot of wineries that do straight up Petit Verdot and we thought there was a lot of potential for that, so we went for it”, said Anesi. “It’s not as well known but we are very happy with it.”

All of Gauchezco’s wines are aged in a mixture of French, American and, more unusually, Hungarian oak barrels.

“We found that [Hungarian oak] respects the fruit better”, explained Anesi. “We can maintain that tannic structure without compromising the fruit. We want the complexities of French and American too, but we really like Hungarian oak.”

Torrontés is another variety that Anesi believes has great promise, highlighting Salta as the best place to cultivate this grape due to its elevated vineyards and high diurnal ranges. This allows grapes to develop complex aromatics while maintaining their acidity.

“It was Malbec that got Argentina’s foot in the door but I think you are going to see a lot of other varieties, and blends, coming out of Argentina in the future,” said Anesi.

“We see that, but I don’t think that the rest of the world does. If Malbec is the king, Torrontes is the Queen.”