Fortunately there is no winemaker in Argentina who goes by the name of Jones. If there were wine writers would be kept working full time rather than relaxing full time, glass in hand, “working” on the next column. While from the outside the wine world often gives the appearance of quiet and calm, below the surface there is always something going on— and quiet and calm are not usually the words that most apply. This week I have a few pieces of news and comment to pass along which reflects this situation to a certain degree.Without doubt, the most important and impacting news to pass on, and truly just out of the oven, as it were, is the breakup of the two Mas brothers. Antonio and Manuel Mas have been the founders and the lifeblood of one of our very top wineries since its inception. Antonio was the winemaker while Manuel looked after the business side and the public relations. Now, as of last week, they have separated in an amicable manner — at least without blood and tears — and the outstanding question of the moment was answered at a lunch offered by Manuel Mas at Mallman’s restaurant Patagonia Sur in La Boca. The question was (is) of course, what is going to happen to Finca La Anita whose wines are a mainstay of Argentina’s image abroad, (not to mention locally as well). The answer was present at Patagonia Sur, no less than one of our country’s outstanding winemakers and wine business leaders. I am referring to Susana Balbo whose trajectory includes stints with Catena, her own winery called Dominio del Plata, cradle of some truly great wines, and the formation of a team of experts in both viticulture and winemaking, who act as aids to whoever wishes to rent their services. She has now joined up with Manuel Mas to personally steer the Finca La Anita wines along their new road which, as we who know her are convinced, will produce some truly outstanding results in the (probably) short term.
I was fortunate to be seated alongside Susana at that lunch, so I took the opportunity to touch upon a couple of points that are of particular interest to me at the present. The first was (could it be anything else?) the matter of what does she think of Bonarda as an Argentine wine of the future. To my joy she told me that she is in complete agreement with my theory that this grape is a future local star, and that we are already producing some Bonardas who can well stand up to the heavyweights of the world. However, she also mentioned a matter that I had overlooked. According to Susana, a wine called Bonarda, however good it might be technically, has little future (in Europe, at least) with that name. It seems that Bonarda is a name with a suspect, if not dirty, reputation, representing a grape that has no right to the trappings of honour and glory. The answer is to find an acceptable name, and once found much time and energy will have to be invested to get the name widely accepted. Are local winemakers willing and able to face such a situation? That is the question.
The matter has its ins and outs. According to French ampelographer P. Truel, after studying Argentina Bonarda vineyards closely, has determined that our Bonarda is not a descendant of Italy´s iconic grape, but is a relic of a French varietal, now almost non-existant , known as Corbeau Noir. If this is so it is a step forward on what is likely to be a long and tortuous road to possible stardom. It is up to the trade to work out how best to face this problem.
I also asked Susana how does she see the future of our wine business, in an international context. As she is a constant traveller — she said that she is almost more travelling abroad than at home in Mendoza — she is closely in touch with trends and demands, both actual and future. She told me that three years ago she had visited the Far East and China and written that market off her list of priorities. Today she considers this part of the world as the next important market (she is in China as you read this today) and foresees a booming export trade between China and Argentina in the short term.
Finally, Susana mentioned a system of wine dispensation that I can see becoming popular locally, if costs can be kept logical. It consists of a wine dispenser activated by a magnetic card — like you use in an ATM — that allows one to buy by the glass or the bottle or in quantities in between. The machine is designed so that no wine is ever in touch with anything but nitrogen gas. This permits one to choose any wine one wishes, according to quantity and price. Cards are purchased for a certain maximum cost and can be used at any time.
It is not surprising that the bottle of wine that one finds on my dining table at home, changes its label with dizzying frequency. Bottles constantly arrive begging for a taste and an opinion, so it is rare that I can put certain wines aside to be drunk when I am in the mood. At the moment I have been able to open and begin a case of wine, which I set aside some five years ago and forgotten. It is the Antologia X ‘03, a Rutini wine made by Mariano Di Paola and is a Cabernet-Malbec blend that is so beautifully blended that it allows itself to be drunk almost without thinking. In spite of a high alcohol level (close to 14 degrees), it does not intrude on the palate in the least. The one word that keeps coming to mind is velvet.
Finding a reliable outlet to find and buy wines that are above supermarket level is not always easy, especially when one lives away from the usual commercial centres. By chance (and just six blocks away from home!), I discovered a small but fascinating wine shop in Martínez. It is called Enogarage and is at Arenales 2089. It specializes only in small, mostly boutique wineries whose labels are almost exclusively reserved for export or reduced local consumption. Here you will find wines difficult to find elsewhere, as well as a salesman who is also a sommelier and can give you the sort of information and advice you may require. His name is Marcos Tiberio and he can be reached at 4798-2365.
Written by Dereck Foster for the Buenos Aires Herald
Source: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/45607
