Argentina is a puzzling country.
It built a cult around the preserved body of a dead blonde. It waged a monumentally inept war against a major European power over islands that are barely habitable by sheep. And the star of its wine industry is a variety called malbec, which has never been more than a bit player in Bordeaux.
Don't ask me. It must be some kind of Southern Hemisphere thing.
The nation's wines can be just as baffling. Some are simply amazing -- unbelievable bargains at a time when consumers need a break. And some of them make you want to cry for Argentina.
Overall, the trend is positive. American consumers are being introduced to some exceptional lines of world-class wines. Argentine malbecs are taking their place among the great red wines of the world -- worthy alternatives to Australia's best shirazes or California's premier zinfandels.
But along with the good has come some appalling wines -- crude cabernet sauvignons, misbegotten merlots, shoddy chardonnays that make you cringe to think that someone thought they were worth bottling, let alone exporting.
Argentina appears to be about where Chile was five to 10 years ago, still lingering in the transition stage between Third World winemaking and a modern industry. But make no mistake: It will be a force to be reckoned with.
All of the following wines come from Mendoza, Argentina's largest and most famous growing region:
Reds
Malbec seldom makes up more than 5 percent of a Bordeaux blend and is used mostly to add color. In Argentina, it easily stands on its own.
Consider the 1999 Catena Malbec from the Lunlunta Vineyards. This superb wine offers almost unbelievable concentration and complexity, with flavors of blackberry, cherry and herbs worthy of a classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape. At $22 it isn't inexpensive, but it is an incredible value. Collectors pay three-figure sums for wine no better than this.
Even more astonishing is the 1999 Alamos Malbec, also produced by Nicolas Catena. Both massive and graceful, it virtually explodes on the palate with lush flavors of black raspberry and Chambord liqueur. It gives a sweet, portlike initial impression that segues into a complex, textured, dry red of epic proportions. And its price: a mere $10. Incredible!
Another fine example of malbec is the 1999 Santa Julia Reserva ($8), a straightforward red with plenty of meaty, burly charm. Ditto for the 1998 Norton Malbec, an appropriate wine for a barbecue. The 1997 Temporada Malbec ($8) is light-bodied for a malbec, but fruity, mature and pleasant for immediate consumption.
