Our list of the best Andes wines of 2018 may open a few eyes. One of the top wines is a Chilean malbec, and not Argentine, while the best chardonnays and pinot noir come from Argentina, and not Chile. And it’s not an anomaly. It underlines how Andes wine is changing as winemakers fine-tune their skills and push traditions, redefining how their countries and regions approach the wine world.
Argentina’s winemaking has turned away from monolithic blockbusters to more balanced and precise wines.
“Anything is possible now in Chile winemaking,” said Rodrigo Soto, the former winemaker of Ritual and Neyen in Chile. He recently left for Napa Valley to run Quintessa but he, like others, remains convinced of the incredible diversity and high quality of his country’s wine culture.
He is not alone in his enthusiasm, with so many winemakers in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. “We know we can make great malbecs, but we are doing the same in Mendoza with cabernet franc and chardonnay,” said Paul Hobbs, owner and winemaker of Vina Cobos in Argentina and one of the best winemakers in America’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
This year we rated almost 2,500 wines from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. We travelled with three tasting editors and two coordinators in late February and met dozens of winemakers and visited numerous wine cellars. It was a great trip with many excellent bottles as well as conversations. We also applaud producers who embrace organic and biodynamic viticulture in the Andes as they have incredible terroirs and beautiful landscapes which should be preserved.
Three of our Top 10 Andes wines are biodynamically farmed: Clos Apalta Valle de Apalta 2015, Neyen Malbec Valle de Colchagua Espíritu de Apalta Limited Edition 2016, and Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Patagonia Treinta y Dos 2016.
Next year should be a positive year for the Andes as Argentina moves out of rain affected vintages (2015 and 2016) to more normal years, 2017 and 2018. Chile may be a little more difficult with more 2016 (wet weather at end of growing season) and hot and dry 2017 including fires. Regardless, we will be back in the Andes in late February to appraise the year and new releases. – James Suckling, CEO & Editor
