Argentine wine: Andean altitude in the glass
137 flasker, fra 9,40 € til 330 €, median 28 €People often come here looking for a fleshy, reasonably priced Malbec. This section offers some, but above all it tells another story: a vineyard that climbs. From 600 metres in the Andean piedmont to over 3,000 metres in the north-west, the vines gain in freshness what the sun gives them in power, and the wines gain an acidity that carries their substance.
Mendoza supplies most of the choice, Salta the most aromatic whites and Patagonia the finest reds. The tables below will help you find your way.
Riglos - Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
A high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon, powerful and precise, revealing the freshness and depth of the Gualtallary terroir.
Ways into the section
Mendoza
The province that supplies most of the selection, from entry-level plain wines to the high parcels of Uco. A single Andean piedmont, irrigated by snowmelt.
Vinområdets hjerteValle de Uco
The best-stocked area in the section, and the highest in Mendoza. Cold nights, pebbly soils, taut wines, from entry-level Malbecs to the most expensive bottles.
Fra 10,50 € til 330 €Luján de Cuyo
The country's first delimited area, planted with old Malbec vines between 900 and 1,100 metres. Rounder, warmer reds than those of the Valle de Uco.
Malbecens vuggeSalta og Cafayate
Det yderste nordvest og Valles Calchaquíes, hvor vinstokkene når op over 3.000 meter. Blomsteragtige torrontés og tætte rødvine født under en voldsom sol.
Det højeste vinområdePatagonien
Det store sydlige vinområde, fra den 39. til den 45. breddegrad: Neuquén, Río Negro og Chubut. Konstant vind, korte somre, gammel malbec og fine pinot noir.
Neuquén, Río Negro, ChubutMalbec
The red that made the country's reputation: plum, violet, velvety tannins. About half of the Argentine selection, in every style and price bracket.
KongedruenTorrontés
Dry despite its scent of rose and lychee, it almost always comes from the heights of Salta. A white for aperitifs and spicy food, to be served well chilled.
Fra 10,90 €Under 20 €
Afdelingen set nedefra: malbec fra vinhuse, hvidvine fra Mendoza, et par bonarda. Mange af disse vine sælges i sæt – så du kan fylde en kasse uden at ruinere dig.
Fra 9,40 €
Fra Mendoza til det dybe syd: hvad højden ændrer
Altitude is the common thread of Argentine winemaking. Higher up, the vines receive more intense radiation, which thickens the skins and deepens the colour, and colder nights, which preserve acidity. At the same latitude, a few hundred metres of elevation change a wine more than a change of grape variety.
| Region | Hvor det er, og hvordan klimaet er | Druesorter, der trives her | What it means in the glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendozamoderprovinsen | Andean piedmont between 800 and 1,500 metres, a desert irrigated by snowmelt. | Malbec, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay | The bulk of the choice, from everyday wine under €10 to single-parcel cuvées. |
| Valle de Ucodet bedst forsynede område | Det højeste i Mendoza, 1.000 til 1.600 meter, kolde nætter, jord af rullesten. | Malbec, pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet franc | Tension and clean fruit, from €10.50 to the most expensive bottles in the section. |
| Luján de Cuyomalbecens vugge | Landets første afgrænsede område, 900 til 1.100 meter, mange gamle vinstokke. | Primært malbec, cabernet sauvignon | Rundere og varmere end Uco, fra 9,90 € til 59,90 €. |
| Salta and the Valles Calchaquíesdet højeste vinområde | Det yderste nordvest, 1.700 til over 3.000 meter, brændende sol og iskolde nætter. | Torrontés, malbec, tannat | Very aromatic floral whites, thick, deeply coloured reds, from €14.50 to €79. |
| PatagonienNeuquén, Río Negro, Chubut | Much lower in altitude but from the 39th to the 45th parallel south, with constant wind. | Pinot noir, gammel malbec, chardonnay | The finest reds in the country, rarely under €16.50. |
Region is not among the filters on this page, which cover colour, price, format and producer. The pages in the first column take their place.
What each grape variety needs on the plate
The Argentine reflex is the asado: meat grilled over a wood fire, salt, nothing else. The country's reds suit it well because altitude leaves them acidity beneath the flesh. But our selection goes further than the grill.
| Vinen | What it brings to the glass | Hvad den skal serveres til |
|---|---|---|
| Malbecafdelingens søjle | Blomme og violer, fløjlsblød tannin, tæt farve, generøs alkohol. | Grillet oksekød, lam, faste oste. |
| Cabernet sauvignonden seriøse birolle | Solbær, tobaksblade, lige og lidt stram tannin. | Entrecote, ovnstegt lammekølle, grillede grøntsager. |
| Cabernet franc det næste trin op | Hindbær, moden peberfrugt, markant syre, slank smag. | Lyst kød, fyldte peberfrugter, fint charcuteri. |
| Pinot noirsydens signatur | Kirsebær, skovbund, fin tannin; den patagoniske stil dominerer. | And, svampe, fed fisk. |
| Bonarda | Juicy black fruit, discreet tannins, to drink young. | Langtidssimrede retter, pizza, grillpølser. |
| Chardonnayfra højderne eller fra den 45. breddegrad | Stramme citrusfrugter, salt smag, oftest diskret fadpræg. | Fjerkræ i flødesauce, skaldyr, bløde oste. |
| Torrontéssignaturhvidvinen | Duft af rose og muscat, tør og livlig smag. | Aperitif, krydret mad, hvid fisk med citron. |
Serve the reds at around 16 °C: any warmer and the alcohol takes over from the fruit. The whites show best at around 10 °C, slightly less cold for barrel-aged Chardonnays.
Hvem står bag disse flasker, og på hvilket prisniveau
Two houses dominate the section: Matías Riccitelli, who works Mendoza as much as the old Malbec of Río Negro, and Doña Paula, whose range runs from entry-level wines up to parcels in Uco. Next come Atamisque and Bousquet in Uco, El Porvenir in Salta, Caelum in Luján de Cuyo, Malma in Neuquén and Otronia, on the 45th parallel south. All of them feature on our estates page.
The top comes down to a handful of bottles: the Adrianna parcel cuvées from Catena Zapata, including Mundus Bacillus Terrae at €286, and Domaine Nico's Le Paradis Pinot Noir at €330. Between these extremes and the €9.40 at the entry level, the median is €28.
Formatet før prisen
Only a minority of wines can be bought by the single bottle: most of the section is sold in lots of 2, lots of 3 or cases of 6, with two magnums for large gatherings. The price shown follows the chosen format, so it does not always correspond to a single bottle. The selector on the product page shows what is actually available.
Holdet bag Le Baroudeur du Vin
What people ask us about Argentine wines
Hvilken argentinsk vin skal jeg starte med?
A Mendoza Malbec at €15–25 gives the measure of the country: ripe black fruit, supple tannins and enough freshness to stand up to a barbecue. For a white, choose a Torrontés from Salta, dry despite its floral nose. These two bottles are enough to grasp the gap between the north and the Andean piedmont.
Why is altitude always mentioned when talking about Argentina?
Because the vineyards range from 600 metres to over 3,000 metres in the Valles Calchaquíes, a span unique on this scale. At altitude, the radiation thickens the skins and concentrates the colour, while the cold nights preserve acidity. Hence powerful wines that remain easy to drink, with a lively backbone beneath the flesh.
Ligner argentinsk malbec den fra Cahors?
No. The grape does indeed come from South-West France, but the Andean sun and the temperature range between day and night give it riper fruit, more velvety tannins and a deeper colour. Cahors remains more austere, more marked by limestone. Argentine Malbec is also drunk younger.
Hvad er torrontés?
It is the country's emblematic white, born of a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. The nose suggests rose and lychee, but the palate stays dry and fresh, especially when the vines grow high up, around Cafayate. Torrontés is served chilled, as an aperitif or with spicy food.
Kan man købe en enkelt flaske?
Only for some of the wines. Most of the selection is sold in lots of 2, lots of 3 or cases of 6, and a few cuvées are also available in magnum. The format selector on the product page shows what is available and at what price. Check it before confirming your basket.
What budget should you allow for a good Malbec?
The median for the section is €28 a bottle, and entry-level prices start at €9.40. Between €15 and €25, you will find well-made estate Malbecs, whether barrel-aged or not. Above €50, you are paying for specific parcels, old vines and low yields.
Kan disse vine lagres længe?
The entry-level wines are drunk within three to five years; that is what they are made for. Single-parcel Malbecs, high-altitude Cabernet Francs and Catena Zapata's great Chardonnays last ten years and sometimes longer. Each product page gives an ageing window, which is more reliable than a general rule.
Mendoza eller Patagonien – hvad er forskellen?
Are there organic wines in this selection?
Yes. Several estates in this section are certified, including Otronia in Chubut, El Porvenir in the Valles Calchaquíes, Malma in Neuquén and E's Vino in Mendoza. The dry, windy climate of the Andes limits vine diseases: organic farming is simpler there than in Europe.