Panel tasting results: South American whites – beyond the big two

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release South American whites priced £10-£40 in the UK made from any white grape, and whose proportion of Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc does not exceed 50%

The Verdict

By Patricio Tapia

To think beyond Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is not unusual when discussing South America’s white wines. It’s true, both Chile and Argentina – and to a lesser extent Uruguay – have already managed to capture the attention of critics and the public with some very good examples of both mainstream grapes. However, there is life beyond the big two, and this tasting has shown that this life can hold great excitement.

‘The tasting dispelled a couple of prejudices – firstly, that Chile’s white wines are all about French grape varieties; and secondly that Argentina is essentially red wine country,’ said panel member Anthony Rose, while for Waitrose buyer Daphne Teremetz: ‘There is a world of variety beyond Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay in South America, much as I value these noble varieties, with a huge array of terroirs to discover too.’

Scroll down to see the top wine tasting notes & scores

Good examples of Argentinian Torrontés – especially those coming from high-altitude vineyards in the north of the country – were among the stars here. The evolution of this grape, which has moved from rustic and bitter towards much more friendly and fruity wine styles, has been spectacular in the last decade.

‘I believe that Torrontés has real potential to grow in acclaim and appeal as long as salinity is kept in check, allowing the peachy generosity of the variety to shine,’ Teremetz said.

Chile, for its part, has had a long relationship with Riesling, since it was first imported into the country towards the middle of the 19th century. However, it has always been in the shadow of other grapes. In the tasting, this was the Chilean variety that interested us most, with delicious and refreshing examples on show, all born on the rolling hills of Leyda in the San Antonio Valley, facing the Pacific Ocean. Pay attention to this grape, which is quietly becoming the best alternative for those who are bored with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

But if you want something more unusual, you should consider another maritime zone, this time on the other side of the continent, on the cool shores of Garzón, facing the Atlantic in Uruguay: a new destination for Albarino. Although today just a handful of wineries produce this grape, the results are very promising, as we were able to see thanks to two juicy examples highlighted in this tasting, made by Bodega Garzón and Bouza.

Another of our discoveries was the high standard of the Semillons we tasted. This is a grape that had fallen into oblivion in Argentina and Chile, but today it is the object of a refreshing revival on both sides of the Andes. Creamy and friendly, spicy and fresh, this new wave of Semillons has both the quantity and the quality to become a category to consider when talking about the new South American whites. ‘On the whole, I found the diversity of grape varieties beyond the usual suspects of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to be substantially greater than anticipated,’ said Rose. ‘Having said that, I wouldn’t say I was bowled over by the overall quality – and yet, at the higher echelons, to have 30-odd wines at silver medal level is a promising result for “alternative varieties”, for want of a better expression.’

In summary, this was an unexpected and enjoyable tasting of a selection of wines that invite you to venture out and try the likes of Torrontés, Riesling or Albarino, but also Moscatel, Roussanne, Marsanne and Sauvignon Gris – altogether a great example of diversity from the South American wine scene.

The scores

• 89 wines tasted
• Exceptional 0
• Outstanding 0
• Highly Recommended 32
• Recommended 50
• Commended 3
• Fair 2
• Poor 1
• Faulty 1

The judges

Anthony Rose

Rose writes a weekly wine column for The Independent and is a regular contributor to Decanter, as well as a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Australia. Accolades include three Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year awards and a Louis Roederer International Columnist award. His own blog is at www.anthonyrosewine.com.

Patricio Tapia

Tapia graduated with a degree in journalism in Santiago, before attending Bordeaux University to study winemaking. His several books include Wines for Great Occasions, The Wines of Colchagua Valley and TodoVino, as well as his annual Descorchados guide to wines of Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay.

Daphne Teremetz

Teremetz is a wine buyer for Waitrose, responsible for its ranges from South America, Bordeaux, Alsace and Regional France. She began in ladies tailoring at Marks & Spencer, moving to Spar UK where she garnered acclaim for her improvements to its wine range, before moving to Waitrose in 2016.

About South American whites

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have led the way, but South America’s landscape is shifting again, says Patricio Tapia, as interest rises anew in what alternative varieties can add to the mix…

See all 89 wine tasting notes & scores here

There was a time when the panorama of South American white wines was limited to one grape, the perfumed and robust Moscatel de Alejandría, the grape that the Spanish conquerors brought to that side of the world at the beginning of the 15th century. Moscatel and, later, Torrontés (a cross between the red Listán Prieto and Moscatel, made in Argentina) were the only white varieties in South America for almost 350 years. Things changed in around the middle of the 19th century, when the first imports of European grapes included Semillon, Chenin Blanc and Riesling. Right after this new wave, Muscat and Torrontés were left aside, giving way to the new reign of these varieties which brought flavours that seemed much more elegant and sophisticated, by the standards of those times. The old Moscatel and its cousin Torrontés were both relegated to country wines, consumed in taverns.

However, by the end of the 1980s, everything would change again. The fashion for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay around the world at that time would lead to producers again doing away with the old (notably Semillon and Chenin Blanc) to concentrate on the new. In Chile, for example, towards the end of the 1980s there were less than 2,000ha planted with Sauvignon Blanc; today there are more than 15,000ha. Semillon, by contrast, fell from more than 3,000ha towards the end of the 1980s to barely 800ha planted in that country today.

It was similar in Uruguay, though on a much smaller scale. The madness for Sauvignon Blanc meant that a rich varietal vista was put aside. Today, however, vines such as Viognier and, above all, Albarino are being rescued.

Variety revival

The current landscape of white grapes in South America is largely dominated by Sauvignon and Chardonnay – however, in the last decade there has been a revival of ancient vines. Semillon is a good example. Once the finest source of white grapes, it practically disappeared from the wine map. Today, however, it is the subject of an incipient revival in Argentina and Chile. And although the number of hectares it covers is not high (in Argentina, for example, there are only 700ha of Semillon against more than 6,000ha of Chardonnay), these new wines have come to offer diversity in the white South American panorama and to break the duopoly of Chardonnay and Sauvignon.

The same goes for Moscatel de Alejandría in Chile or Torrontés in Argentina. Moscatel is enjoying a brilliant second life, thanks to old vines planted in the south of Chile, while Torrontés has been shifting in style from that of a rustic white to a wine radiant in freshness and generous in aromas. Today there are about 10,000ha of Torrontés planted; it is the most important white variety in Argentina and one of the best sources of whites in South America.

Where to go in search of diversity

If you are interested in going beyond Chardonnay or Sauvignon in South America, you should set off for the coasts of Uruguay, where just a few hectares planted with Albarino are delivering the best white wines in that country today. These are vineyards that face the Atlantic in the charming and very tourist-friendly Maldonado Bay.

To find the best Argentinian Torrontés, you should without doubt head to the north, to the Calchaquí Valleys, in zones such as Cafayate or Salta. There, at almost 2,000m high, the new wave of Argentinian Torrontés is being born, offering complex and perfumed, refreshing whites.

For Muscat of Alexandria, the best source – over centuries – has been the Itata Valley in southern Chile. Today a new generation of winemakers has returned to focus their attention on this grape, producing delicious and exuberant Moscatels, often with some skin contact, as dictated by local tradition.

For the best Argentinian Semillon, Mendoza and, above all, the Uco Valley offer old vines that give spicy and juicy whites; while if you are interested in Riesling, the place to look is the cold coasts of San Antonio in Chile, where the breezes of the Pacific Ocean give rise to crunchy and mineral examples.

Top South American white wines from the panel tasting:

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