Bodega Argento - Organic Wines from Argentinia
30-11-2022At the moment it seems that sustainability has become a buzz word in any industry.. so many companies tumbling over each other in order to be better, more organic, greener than others. At today’s presentation I was really impressed with the effort which was taken by the Bodega Argento wine company from Argentinia. Their mission is to be a leader in sustainable winemaking in Argentina. They are taking care of their natural and human resources while focusing on organic production from start to finish while preserving the character of each region and grape variety.
They have made in detail analyses of the soil, the organisms in it and the environment in order to understand and co-exist with the ecosystem present, something they call MATRIZVIVA.
A very interesting example is the way they keep the ants from ‘eating’ the vines by making sure there is enough fungus for them to eat (in other places) and therefore will leave the vines alone. The ants are important to keep the soil aery, disperse of plant seeds and pollen e.g.
This has resulted in beautiful, well balanced and original wines.
The Bodega Argento wines are part of the larger Grupo Avinea, who is the number 1 Organic Wine producer in Argentinia. Argento’s head winemaker is Juan Pablo Murgia who was selected by the journalist and Master of Wine, Tim Atkin MW as "Young Winemaker of the Year" in his Argentina Special Report 2021, where he highlighted his work in organic wines and winemaker of the year 2022. Juan Pablo has a degree in winemaking and agriculture. He was born in Mendoza, inheriting from his family since he was a child the philosophy of high quality grapes. He also has international experience working in different harvests in California, Bordeaux and Uruguay.
After the explanation and information by Gustavo Crespo, the managing dirctor of the Bodega Argento and Grupo Avinea, we started the tasting and the lunch in ‘de Kas’ in Amsterdam, which was organised by Melman Communications. Restaurant ‘de Kas’ was a perfect match as they have a green Michelin star next to the ‘regular’ one, so what better combination than the number one organic producer from Argentinia and this restaurant in Amsterdam.
For me they were quite a few highlights, first a white Malbec (at first I didn’t believe it) but they use a similar method as during champagne making. A light press which results in a “blanc de noirs”, which tastes fresh, with tones of citrus and green apple. A lively wine with a nice balans. It is actually sold by Gall&Gall in the Netherlands.
After this we tasted a couple of fullbodied red wines, mainly Malbec based. As you probably know, Argentinia is well known for its Malbec. It usually is an inky, full-bodied, dry red wine with strong impressions of dark fruits on the nose and palate. This wines tends to have mellower tannins than its French counterparts. The combination of Malbec with Cabernet Franc in the Artesano de Argento Reserva Organic wine was fantastic, it tasted like a French bordeaux blend from Argentinian soil.
The food and wine pairing was especially good for the 2nd and 3rd course with resp. celeriac and an Organic Single Vineyard Agrelo Cabernet Franc and the roasted cauliflower with an Organic Single Vineyard Altamira Malbec (see tasting notes below).
A very memorable event with great wines, excellent food and good organisation! Thanks Gustavo and Ghislaine!
Artesano de Argento White Malbec Organic
Origin: Alto Agrelo, Mendoza
100% Malbec
Color: pale white color
On the nose it is fresh with citrus and green apple
Palate: Lively and nice balance
Food pairing: aperitif, white fish dishes
Argento Estate Reserve Organic Chardonnay
Origin: Luján de Cuyo and Tupungato, Mendoza
100% Chardonnay, 2 months oak
Color: golden yellow
On the nose: offers aromas of tropical fruit, these fruit flavors are complemented by mineral notes
Palate: a subtle buttery texture that leads to a fresh, round finish
Food pairing: fried fish, pasta with creamy sauce, salmon
Argento Estate Reserve Organic Malbec
Origin: Agrelo and San Carlos, Mendoza
100% Malbec, 3 months oak
Color: a deep purple color
On the nose: ripe aromas of plum, black berries, blue berries, light herbal notes
Palate: juicy, with a easy finish and some oak notes, soft tannins
Food pairing: bbq and roasted meats
Artesano de Argento Reserva Organic
Origin: Alto Agrelo, Mendoza
70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Franc
Color: Intensive red colour
On the nose it offers aromas of cherries, plums, currant leaves and fruit.
Palate: Rich, full body, round in the mid-palate, supple tannins and long finish.
Food pairing: duck, lamb, roasted meat, mushroom
Argento Single Vineyard Agrelo Organic Cabernet Franc
Origin: Agrelo, Mendoza
95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 10 months oak
Color: Intensive red colour
On the nose: voluptuous and fresh with exceptional aromas, with raspberries and herbs
Palate: powerful tannins, mid palate with good weight, long and vibrant finish
Food pairing: roasted beef, mushrooms, oven dishes with lamb
Argento Single Vineyard Altamira Organic Malbec
Origin: Altamira, Mendoza
100% Malbec, 10 months oak
Color: Intensive red colour
On the nose: very aromatic, fresh, vibrant wine with red fruits and herbs. Great mineral character Palate: juicy, with a complex finisharomas of cherries, plums, currant leaves and fruit.
Food pairing: steak, lamb, roasted meat, bbq