Winophilia

Why should you care? Along with Napa Valley cabernet and Marlborough sauvignon blanc, Mendoza malbec is one of the most widely recognized “brands” among American wine drinkers. But there’s a downside to such marketing success. First off, virtually every Argentine wine producer and his hermano now make malbec, and too many of these wines have become generic and interchangeable. Meanwhile, the large shadow cast by malbec in the marketplace is hiding the growing success of Argentina’s cabernet and cabernet-based wines, which are better now than ever before–especially when they’re from the favored Uco Valley, as the Antucura example is.

What does it taste like? Antucura’s 2007 Calcura bottling, a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 20% malbec, offers assertive aromas of blackberry, cassis, menthol and licorice, lifted by a violet topnote. It’s juicy, intense and serious, with tightly knit, sharply delineated flavors of dark fruits, spices and truffle and a vibrant, long finish featuring a suave dusting of tannins. A difficult flowering resulted in a particularly small crop in ’07, and the result is a vintage with unusual concentration of flavor. By the way, globetrotting enologist Michel Rolland serves as consulting winemaker here.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $20 (Southern Starz)

Why should you care? Torrontés, Argentina’s most distinctive white variety, yields captivating light-bodied, scented wines that make perfect aperitifs and pair well with a range of first courses. These generally dry and delicate wines, usually made without any contact with oak, remind me a bit of viognier with a perfumed hint of muscat: they’re mostly dry to bone-dry, crisp yet slightly chewy, and dominated by aromas and flavors of stone and citrus fruits, soft spices, mint and flowers.

What does it taste like? Although torrontés is produced in Mendoza, Argentina’s most important wine region by a wide margin, many of the finest examples come the high-altitude vineyards of the Salta province, in the country’s extreme northwest. The example from Alta Vista offers delicate aromas of white flowers and curry powder followed by a tactile, saline mouth feel, with hints of gingery spices and bright acidity giving definition to its subtle tropical fruit flavors. The finish is sappy, elegant and persistent. This smooth torrontés has the acidity and pungent character to work well with spicier Asian, Indian or Mexican dishes.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $16; Buena Cepa Wines.

Why should you care? Adam Tolmach helped to kickstart California’s Central Coast wine industry when he and Jim Clendenen founded the Au Bon Climat winery in 1982. Tolmach has long been committed full-time to his own Ojai Vineyard winery, where he makes a wide range of elegant wines from some of the most renowned vineyards in the region. Most of his bottlings are hotly pursued by wine lovers who prize lively, precise renditions of New World chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. From two of those vineyards, Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills, both in Santa Barbara County, Tolmach makes this chardonnay, which is sourced from younger vines and delivers the Ojai style at a bargain price.

What does it taste like? Bright, focused and fragrant, this chardonnay offers an array of floral and citrus fruit qualities that are the hallmark of the region. Tolmach says that his aim is always to make focused, graceful wines with little excess fat, and the 2009 vintage gave him fruit that was perfectly suited to his style.

How much does it cost? $26.

Why should you care? Barbera from Italy’s Piedmont region is among the most flexible, food-friendly red wines made anywhere, complementing everything from pizzas and tomato-based pastas to richer meat dishes to salty cheeses.  This penetrating wine, which relies almost entirely on its acidity for structure (the barbera grape is low in tannins), is generally ready to enjoy on release but has the ability to mellow and gain in complexity with time in bottle, particularly the more ambitious versions made in oak casks or smaller French barrels. Many of the finest barberas come from top producers of Barolo and Barbaresco, who enjoy drinking barbera on an everyday basis while reserving their more serious and expensive nebbiolo wines for special occasions.

What does it taste like? The Grasso family’s Barbera d’Alba Vigna Martina, froma vines close their their top Barolo vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, is aged in new and once-used French barriques for 15 months, then held in bottle for at least a year before being released. The 2008 version offers highly perfumed aromas and flavors of red fruits, flowers and spicy oak. It’s fine-grained and suave, with perfectly harmonious acidity and a strong floral component giving definition to the pliant middle palate. This very stylish barbera finishes with smooth tannins and subtle lingering perfume.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $35; Sussex Wine Merchants.