Best of both sides
Most of the world does not get to taste Argentinian wine, which has some great bottles
Kaiken is a Mapuche Indian word for a Patagonian goose that lives on both sides of the Andes. Aurelio Montes, the Chilean star wine maker, like the goose, can be spotted on both sides of the Andes.
This was an inevitable move from one of Chile’s most energetic and respected winemakers. Aurelio Montes has set up an operation on the other side of the Andes in Argentina. Montes is co-owner and winemaker of Vi?a Montes in Chile. So Kaiken is just the latest expansion project for him and in 2003 he released his first Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The project is part of an expansion plan that also involved extensive plantings in Chile’s Marchig?e region and the new winery in Apalta, where he makes his outstanding Folly Syrah and Alpha M Cabernet blend.
Back to the other side of Andes. The wines are produced from purchased grapes sourced from several different vineyards at the Tupungato area of Mendoza, and are been made at a leased winery. After determining which areas produce the best fruit, Montes eventually plans to acquire its own vineyard land in Argentina and build his own winery there. But what about Malbec and Argentina?
Malbec is one of the six grape varieties approved for making red wines in the Bordeaux region of France. In Bordeaux, Malbec is used like a chef would use a spice. Malbec is blended with other wines but it makes up a very small percentage of the blend. It is being grown and included less every year in the Bordeaux region.
On the other hand, Malbec has found a new home and a new following in the wines of Argentina. Argentina’s vineyards were originally established by Spanish monks when they arrived in the 1500s. Like Kaiken, the primary production area is in the Mendoza valley which is located on the eastern side of the Andes mountain range. The vineyards are at higher altitudes than most other growing regions (ranging from 1,500 to 500 feet). They receive virtually no rainfall and, as a result, the vineyards are irrigated.
Argentina is better known for its red wines than its whites. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese are among the best wines produced, with Malbec as the star in many wineries. Wine consumption in Argentina is very high and rivals that of European countries. Most of the wine produced has been for local consumption and has been of mediocre quality. Argentina did not have high enough high quality to attract the export market. That changed at the end of the 1990s as international companies began investing heavily in the region. They recognised the opportunity to produce higher quality wines at attractive prices. Argentina ranks fifth in the world (and first in South America) in total wine production but since only 10 per cent of its wines are exported, unfortunately much of the world never tastes them.
Most vineyards in Argentina do not face the problem of Phylloxera and do not graft the European grape varieties onto the North American rootstocks as is necessary in most of the world. The soils in most of Argentina’s vineyards are very high in mineral content which adds complexity to the taste of the wines. The temperatures during the growing season are quite warm during the day and the nights are cool.
WINES OF THE WEEK
2002 Kaiken Malbec Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina, Alcohol volume 14%
Jimmy Hendrix couldn’t have predicted the colour better: wonderful purple haze, dark masculine nose with very ripe black fruit – plum and blackberries both on the nose and palate, some tobacco and butterscotch. The palate displays fleshy tannins, harmonious liaison with wood, bursting fruit and intriguing finish. This wine is what good South American reds are all about and an exceptional Malbec. Try this with red meat burgers of any description, pizza, or plain grilled steak served at 16?C. Drink now!
2002 Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina, Alcohol Volume 14%
Clean dark purple, almost black, with ripe plums and raspberries to the nose, mixed with mocha spice and black olive. The oak barrel contributes vanilla and bitter chocolate notes. The palate is mouth filling, bone dry, well balanced, sharp acidity with very varietal long aftertaste. Excellent with your steaks at 18?C, or burgers, pizza, lasagna…
Imported by Oenoforos the first UK style Underground Wine Warehouse in Cyprus. For more information call 25 760608
