Argentina finds home for Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc can offer a useful alternative white variety to Torrontés in Argentina’s cooler sites, according to Doña Paula winemaking director Edgardo del Popolo.

Speaking to the drinks business at the South American Wine Workshop organised by Santa Rita Estates, which has owned Doña Paula since 1998, del Popolo described how Sauvignon Blanc has become an important part of the producer’s portfolio as it expands its vineyard area in the Uco Valley.

Despite acknowledging “there is a perception that Argentina is not the best place to produce Sauvignon Blanc because there are so many other regions making it to a high quality”, del Popolo emphasised his conviction about the variety’s potential in the right sites.

“It’s very challenging in a warm climate but the Uco Valley is our coolest region and you get a very nice varietal character there,” he argued, stressing in particular the strong contrast between the conditions required by Sauvignon Blanc and Torrontés.

“The best place to make Torrontés is Cafayate in the north of the country,” he observed, adding that the variety is almost entirely planted on high trellises, compared to the greater canopy cover and sandy soils required to get the best from Sauvignon Blanc.

In a further bid to keep his Sauvignon Blanc elegant, del Popolo explained: “We like to pick in the middle of the season, so mid-February, at 12 to 12.5% alcohol so we can keep the natural acidity.”

Although agreeing it lacks the USP status that Torrontés offers Argentina, del Popolo argued that Sauvignon Blanc offers a distinct identity from the styles found across the Andes in Chile, where the variety is far more widely planted.

Pointing to the “capsicum and herbaceous” characteristics commonly associated with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, del Popolo typified the expression coming from Mendoza’s Uco Valley as offering “more grapefruit, citric notes”.

Since its first Sauvignon Blanc vintage in 2002, made from just four hectares, Doña Paula is now one of Argentina’s biggest producers of the variety. Despite his pioneering work and confidence in its potential, del Popola admits: “It’s a niche variety,” and one that for the moment is unlikely to overtake Chardonnay in popularity, never mind Torrontés.