Winemaker Notes
A golden colored Torrontés with bright reflections. The nose is fragrant and complex, with hints of tropical fruits (especially lychee), citrus notes (such as lemon peel) and delicate floral aromas. The mouth is harmonious, with a balanced acidity that goes with some intense fruit flavors. It has a good, round body and a silky texture.
Fish, shellfish and spicy, aromatic dishes from Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisines all pair well with this wine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Derived from Salta cuttings planted in Altamira's sandy, limestone-driven soils, the 2022 Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontés fermented in 600-liter light-toast barrels with judicious lees stirring. It is a definitive example of the variety, expertly balancing exotic floral qualities of rose and geranium tempered by green orchard fruits and fresh herb aromas. The palate combines textural breadth and a tensile core, closing with a strong, serious finish lifted by additional floral perfume.
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Vinous
The 2022 vintage combines sunshine and moderate temperatures, characterized by a certain concentration and precision of fruit in the wines. Sourced from Paraje Altamira, the 2022 Torrontés Barrel Fermented is a perfect example of winemaking that interpreted the year well without overdoing it. Pale yellow in color, it reveals roses and verbena, with hints of lemongrass and melon, along with herbal notes.
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James Suckling
Lots of perfumes here but nothing sassy. Rather refreshing aromatics with fresh lychee, peach, green grapes, melon and orange blossom. Medium to full body with just a hint of tannins that offset the lifted perfumes, giving it a little more seriousness and gravity. A wonderful torrontes from Paraje Altamira.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2022 Susana Balbo Signature Torrontés is a beautiful and enticing wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromas and flavors of ripe tangerines, fragrant tropical fruits, and sandalwood. Try it with Thai Basil Stir Fry (Pad Kra Pao) (Tasted: June 14, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
This is not your typical Torrontés. “Elegant” is the word that describes Susana Balbo's style. This barrel-fermented white follows this approach and shows a nose of subtle aromas of white flowers, peach and wet stones. It is a mineral-textured bottling, offering herbs and honey alongside citrus fruit. Excellent acidity lifts the palate and keeps it vivid into the lemony finish.
Susana Balbo graduated from Don Bosco University in Mendoza in 1981 and established herself as Argentina’s first female enologist and, since then, has been considered one of Argentina’s top winemakers. Three times her industry peers elected her to the Presidency of Wines of Argentina because of her work ethic, innovative winemaking techniques and dedication to the worldwide success of Argentine wine.
After working for twenty years as a consulting winemaker, Susana founded her own brand in 2000. In 2001, she broke ground for her winery in Agrelo in the Luján de Cuyo district of Mendoza. There, she makes her Susana Balbo "Signature" line of wines, as well as wines under the Crios, Nosotros and BenMarco labels. Her winemaking approach for the wines that bear her name is to seamlessly apply her human touch and enhance the grape’s innate character.
Over several decades of winemaking in Argentina, Susana has earned a reputation for a pioneering spirit and innovation. She is known for experimenting with various barrel sizes and aging regimens, fermentation of wine in egg-shaped concrete fermenters, and wild yeast fermentations. The Wine Advocate's Luis Gutierrez dubbed her groundbreaking barrel-fermented Torrontés one of the "10 Argentine Wines to Drink before You Die."
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.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.