Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs wonderfully with grilled fish, fresh shellfish and focaccia topped with tapenade.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Slate, stone and other minerals with white peach undertones. Full body, tangy acidity, and a long finish. Stylish and flavorful.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Premium Torrontes is produced with grapes from Cafayate in the province of Salta. The grapes come from a rented vineyard they work and have been the source for this wine since the beginning, a vineyard that was planted in the 1920s. The grapes are harvested at three different points in time, early, normal and late in order to obtain more balance and complexity and keep an homogeneous style through vintages. The grapes are pressed in Salta and the musts are transported by truck to the winery in Mendoza for vinification. This is produced in a fresh, high-acidity, fruit-driven style that is quite floral with jasimine and very spicy notes making it resemble a Gewürztraminer more than a Moscatel. They harvested six days earlier in 2014, and there is less opulence and more elegant minerality and balance. The acidity is there but is very nicely coated by glossy fruit. Most people drink this very young, but I have the feeling the best examples can last much longer than we think; owner Patrick d'Aulan tells me he's now drinking 2008. They have plenty of land in Cafayate so the plan is to slowly plant something between 20 and 40 hectares of vineyards there. Beautiful wine, beautiful price. 70,000 bottles produced.
Unapologetically fun and distinctively fragrant, Torrontés is regarded as the signature white grape of Argentina. In many ways it bears a striking resemblance to Muscat (and in fact is an offspring of Muscat of Alexandria). Sommelier Secret—If you’re in search of a new summer sipper, look no further than Torrontés. These wines are always inexpensive, delightfully refreshing and are best enjoyed in the sunny outdoors at a picnic, poolside or on the porch.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.