South America

Chile   Argentina   Uruguay   Brazil

Chile
Viña MontGras Chardonnay Reserve, 2009 and Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, 2009 ($9.35; special price for a case of nine bottles: $75) - Viña MontGras, in Chile's Colchagua Valley, was established in 1992 by brothers Hernán and Eduardo Gras with partner Cristián Hartwig. The MontGras estate today encompasses over 200 hectares planted to vine and has earned over 200 medals and awards worldwide. Santiago Margozzini serves as head winemaker. The Chardonnay grapes were hand-harvested. After fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, 40% of the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 11 months. The bouquet shows pear and pineapple with hints of vanilla. Richly structured, this elegant Chardonnay is well balanced and concludes with a creamy, lingering finish. Pair it with chicken, seafood, and hard cheeses. The Sauvignon's bouquet is a delicate mix of citrus and melon with subtle herbal notes. Nicely balanced and mouth filling, with refreshing citrus fruit flavors and a racy acidity, the wine pairs beautifully with seafood, sushi, sashimi, and grilled vegetables.

Los Vascos Cabernet Reserve, 2007 ($18.99) - I’ve always been a fan of this Chilean wine and regularly put a few bottles away for myself. (A bottle of 1995 is calling to me.) Made by the wine-making team that fashions Chateau Lafite Rothschild, it tastes very much like a Bordeaux. Drinkable now, but will improve.

Undurraga Cabernet Sauvignon “Founder’s Collection,” Maipo, Chile, 2005 ($27.99) - Best known for inexpensive wines, Chile also produces some higher end wines such as this beautiful Cabernet. It has not yet been reviewed, but the Wine Spectator reviewed previous vintages: “Shows nice maturity, with elegant smoke, plum and black cherry. Sweet finish has a lingering cedar and vanilla mix. Pretty; Shows solid currant, mint, and loam notes, on a firm, old world-style palate, with slightly grainy tannins on the finish. The style will have some fans.”

Argentina
Finca Don Cano Sauvignon Blanc, Mendoza, 2007 ($9.35/750ml;  $15.99/1.5L) - Argentina is best known for Malbec, but in fact it also  produces many other varietals that are real values. This is a very  clean wine that is crisp but not acidic. A soft entry is followed by  good varietal fruit featuring a wild flower character with notes of  honey and passion fruit. The round texture makes this a very appealing  wine.

Maipe Bonarda, 2008 ($10.99) - Maipe Malbec was our wine of the month several years ago. While a bit more esoteric, the Bonarda is equally delicious. Produced in the Luján de Cuyo subregion of Mendoza by the Pelizzatti family, Maipe wines reflect the commitment to excellence by the young winemaker, Liliana Iannizzotto, who is assisted by consultant Alberto Antonini (best known for Altos Las Hormigas). Maipe was the Lord of the Winds for the ancient Andean people.  Argentineans still invoke his name to clear the skies after a heavy rain or to temper the summer heat. This wine comes from 30-year old vines grown at an altitude of 3000 feet. It shows deep red color with violet hints, wild berry and violet aromas, round and velvety tannins, and a long finish. Robert Parker: 89 "The 2008 Bonarda offers an enticing bouquet of smoke, mineral, and blueberry. Round and ripe on the palate, it has surprising depth and length for its humble price. Drink this succulent wine over the next three years." 

Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir, 2006 ($11.99) - Who would have thought that Argentina would be making as good a Pinot Noir in this price range as you can find today? Yes it’s a bit on the light side, but this has nicely rendered Pinot fruit that is as delicious with chicken or fish as it is just sipping by itself. Alfredo Roca is a very modern, medium-sized winery (for Argentina) with about 282 acres of vines. The five-acre Pinot Noir parcel is at an altitude of 3000 feet and is further cooled by a wind tunnel from the Andes. This is one of the coolest parcels in all of Mendoza. Cropped at barely two tons per acre, it produces only 650 cases of a wine that combines a Burgundian sense of terroir with a lively New World character.  

Bodega Benegas - Despite its economic and fiscal problems, Argentina continues to churn out interesting wines of good to very good quality that remain excellent values. The Benegas Estate vineyards are located in the Maipu region of Mendoza. The Benegas family has been involved in the Argentine wine business since 1883. The founder, Tiburcio Benegas, Silvestre Ochagavía (Chile), and Agoston Harszthy (California), were pioneers in the wine industry in the Americas. Like his counterparts Benegas traveled to France to bring superior grapevines and then-advanced technology back to his country. Benegas bought a vineyard called "El Trapiche" where he built the Trapiche winery which attained international fame and prestige. In subsequent generations Trapiche was dissolved and the assets sold off (to Pulenta and Seagram), but the Benegas family retained the much smaller Bodega Benegas with its Finca Libertad vineyard. The estate has old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot, and Syrah, but interestingly no Malbec. Benegas is currently run by the fourth generation of the family. Noted enologist Michelle Rolland consults for this winery.
Malbec, 2006 ($11.99) - The basic Malbec is an excellent example of quality wines coming from Mendoza. Its rich, ripe fruit will stand up to fairly hearty fare. It's quite a value.
Don Tiburcio, 2005 ($11.99) - This spectacular value is obviously named after the founder. It is a fascinating blend of Bordeaux varietals that includes Argentina's ubiquitous Malbec. The irony is that today Malbec is far more popular in Argentina than in its native Bordeaux. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc in this blend were aged individually in mostly used oak for ten months before they were blended and then aged an additional eight months in wood. Malbec that had been aged separately in wood for eight months was then added. Mature red fruits and a touch of chocolate and vanilla (sorry, no strawberry) are the featured flavor profile here.
Finca Libertad, 2006 ($21.99) - The specialty of the house is this wonderful Bordeaux-style wine from old-vine parcels. Parker on the 2005: 91 points "The 2005 Finca Libertad is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Franc portion of the blend was sourced from 100+-year-old pre-phyloxera vines. Dark ruby in color, it exhibits a complex aromatic array of toasty oak, cinnamon, earth notes, pencil lead, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with savory flavors, considerable complexity, and enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years. This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2011 to 2020."

Renacer Punto Final Malbec Clasico, 2008 ($11.99) and Punto Final Malbec Reserva, 2006 ($17.99) - Originally from France, Malbec produces richly flavored, fruit-filled wines on the high desert plain of Mendoza, Argentina. Many less expensive examples are made in a pleasant, soft style that is none-the-less simple. Renacer’s entry-level Malbec is more serious with good structure and a very dry finish that requires food. Jay Miller, who writes for Parker’s Wine Advocate, really liked it: 90 "The unoaked 2008 Punto Final Clasico contains 97% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc aged for 10 months in stainless steel. It was sourced from own-rooted vineyards over 50 years of age. Made in a late-harvest style, this deep purple-colored wine reveals a nose of spice box, incense, and black cherry. Layered and rich on the palate, it conceals some ripe underlying tannin that should allow the wine to provide pleasure over the next 4 years. It is an amazing fruit bomb." The Reserva is simply spectacular. Fragrant and bearing excellent fruit intensity, this balanced wine avoids the over-ripeness (and excessive alcohol) of many of the high-end Malbecs. Jay Miller, writing in Parker’s Wine Advocate, loved it: 92 "The 2006 Punto Final Reserva contains 99% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc aged for 10 months in French oak. It was sourced from vineyards over 50 years of age with low yields. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a fragrant bouquet of cedar, scorched earth, lavender, and black cherry. Layered, dense, and concentrated, it has tons of savory black fruit, spice notes, and excellent balance. Enjoy this lengthy effort between 2009 and 2012."

Dolce Stefania Malbec, Mendoza, 2005 ($14.99) – Rich yet nicely balanced, this hearty Argentine wine combines a focused structure with an explosion of sweet, juicy fruit flavors held in check by zesty tang. The nose delivers dark chocolate, mint, and cherry. The dense and concentrated flavors include black currant, dark raspberry, and spiced black plum. It received a highly respectable 88-point rating from Jay Miller in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, but no tasting notes were given. Dolce Stefania is a brand produced by Naiara Winery. German Vichera and Guido Meldini bought this winery in 2002. The building dates to the late 19th century in Maipu, Mendoza, when it was used as a fort by the Argentine army during the early years of independence. Vichera and Meldini restored the facade to its original state, leaving the classic and historical exteriors while converting the interior into a winery.

Los Lirios de Los Andes Malbec, 2004 ($15.99) - The great values coming out of Argentina have made Malbec more and more popular. Although most wine lovers think of these wines as simply good and cheap, there are also examples that explore the higher reaches of quality and price. This one is made by the highly respected Bodega E Cavas Weinert. Winemaker Hubert Weber aged it in French barrique, and it has depth and intensity that belie its modest price.

Layer Cake Malbec, 2006 ($17.99) - American Jayson Woodbridge (Hundred Acre) teamed up with fellow winemaker Philippe Melka to make the wonderful Australian Layer Cake Shiraz that we won’t have until the next vintage is released, probably in the fall. Expanding on the success of the Shiraz, the team is sourcing fruit from around the world to make three additional wines under the Layer Cake label. None of these wines will be available year round, for the production is limited. Like the Italian Primitivo, the Argentine Malbec is terrific. It distinctly shows Australian and Californian influences, but it has the rich gutsiness of the best Malbecs. This delicious wine is stylistically similar to the Shiraz. The flavor profile is, of course, different.  

Santa Faustina Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo (Mendoza), 2002 ($21.99) - The best Argentine Malbecs are dramatically good. Cuttings of Malbec vines (also called Auxerrois or Côt Noir) from Bordeaux thrived in Argentina, and Malbec became the country's most popular red wine. Argentina's best Malbecs come from the Mendoza district, a high desert plain (most vineyards are planted between 2000' and 3600'). This impressive wine comes from the Lujan de Cuyo subdistrict, the first controlled appellation in Mendoza. The Alto Lunlunto vineyard (2800') is the source of this wine. A 21-day maceration was followed by aging in one-third French oak barrels. This big and complex wine was bottled unfiltered. Bottle aging has given it refinement.

Uruguay
Alcyone, Atlantida ($31.99/500ml) - A remarkable dessert wine! It is made from Tannat, a rustic varietal from southwestern France (Madiran) that has found a home in Uruguay. Although Tannat usually makes intense wines featuring red fruits and tannin, solera-style aging has tamed this sweet version into a smooth, refined beauty. Uruguayan table wines are acceptable at best, but this is delicious. Think caramel and vanilla! Think yummm!

Brazil
No offense meant to the Brazilians, but I haven't found any Brazilian wines worth drinking. I have found some that are worth avoiding.