Vineyard, Argentina
Torrontes, Argentina’s signature white grape, has been tipped by some to be "the next Pinot Grigio" – but don’t let that put you off. Like an X-Factor contestant, faintly neutral Pinot Grigio has risen without trace to top-tipple status on the grounds that it doesn’t really offend anyone. Torrontes, still largely undiscovered in this country, is much more interesting.
It combines the dryness and crisp acidity of Sauvignon Blanc with the jasmine and orange-blossom perfume of Gewurztraminer.
The palate is generally fresh and citrusy with a dash of peach and passion-fruit, not unlike Viognier. It’s perfect for summer though it loses its freshness quite rapidly, so you should avoid anything from before the 2009 vintage.
Torrontes is unique to Argentina though no one really knows how it got there – it certainly wasn’t bred in a nursery. Sixteenth-century Jesuit missionaries brought Christianity to South America, and wine with which to celebrate it. They planted the frankly bland Criolla Chica variety, which mingled with later plantings of Muscat of Alexandria. It’s thought that Torrontes, is a natural cross of these two varieties, inheriting its sublime, aromatic qualities from the Muscat. It might have been named Torrontes by a homesick Spanish immigrant, as there is a Torrontes grape grown in Galicia, northern Spain, though no connection, other than name, has been found.
There are three clones of Torrontes, the best by far being Torrontes Riojano named after the province of La Rioja. Torrontes Sanjuanino and Torrontes Mendocino are named after the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza but both are severely lacking in the aromatics department. They’re seldom bottled neat, so to speak, and are generally blended with the likes of Chenin Blanc instead.
Torrontes is grown in every wine-growing region of Argentina, most of which lie in the foothills of the Andes. Some of the best examples come from La Rioja province, especially from the dry, windy Famatina Valley; also look out for wines from Tupungato, the highest vineyards in Mendoza province. But the words you really want to find on a Torrontes label are Salta or Cafayate.
Salta is an arid province in the north of the country, close to the Bolivian border, and Cafayate is a cactus-strewn valley running through it. It lies on the tropic of Capricorn, so, if it wasn’t for the cooling effect of high altitude, Salta’s latitude would be too tropical for wine production. "If we went east from here we’d be planting bananas – it’s a tropical rainforest," one grower told me.
Torrontes is a true mountain wine that thrives at high altitude. At 1,700m above sea level, the vineyards in Cafayate are among the highest in the world, and it is here that Torrontes reaches its zenith. There is virtually no disease in the dry mountain air and, with only 200mm of rain a year, the vines are irrigated by melt-water from the Andes. Most importantly, cool night-time temperatures slow down the ripening process, promoting crisp acidity and delicate fruit flavours. During the day the sun’s rays are particularly intense at this elevation, boosting ripeness and alcohol levels. It’s not unusual for Torrontes to weigh in at 13½% or 14% alcohol, which is deceptively high for such crisp, aromatic wines.
Try Torrontes with spicy Asian food, creamy pasta dishes, classic fish pie, kedgeree and shellfish. It’s got serious altitude.
Try these
Asda Torrontes 2009
Fresh, floral aromas with a lightly spicy, peach and orange-peel palate. Crisp, juicy and dry (13% alcohol). Available from Asda.
Tilimuqui Torrontes 2009
Pale as rainwater with a deeply aromatic nose of melon and lychees. Delicious tangy-sharp lemon and lime palate. Organic and Fairtrade too (12½%). Available from Waitrose.
Norton Torrentes 2009
Elderflower aromas with a ripe passion-fruit palate. Full-bodied with a crisp, dry, green-apple finish (13%). Available from Oddbins.
This article was first published in the May 2010 edition of Saga Magazine. Information was correct at the time of going to press. Please check with stockists for up-to-date details.