10 top Argentina Syrah
Argentina Syrah is being made into a fresher, lighter style, that would please any Rhône lover - especially from the high altitude vineyards. Patricio Tapia picks the top wines to try.
Argentina and Syrah
Malbec is not the only variety in Argentina now being made in a fresher, lighter style that is less loaded with alcohol and less influenced by new oak. Syrah is also getting this treatment. Long offering very ripe and sweet wines, it is slowly delivering a fruitier and fresher face; Syrahs that are now more enjoyable for fans of the northern Rhône.
Of the more than 200,000 hectares of vineyards planted across Argentina, only 12,809ha are given over to Syrah, and more than 90% of these grow under the intense sun in Mendoza and San Juan. In lower (and therefore warmer) zones, the wines will usually feel too rich and sweet for Rhône lovers: there’s ample ripeness and juiciness but also a lack of acidity. For the best and most elegant examples you must climb the mountains.
In high-altitude vineyards, the temperature drops and the poorest soils allow for more structured wines. The foothills of the Andes in San Juan, as well as in the Uco Valley or some parts of luján de Cuyo, are home to some of the best Syrahs in Argentina – more precise in their fruit and more vibrant in their acidity, sometimes with those spicy, mineral and savoury charcuterie or bacon fat tones that one tends to associate with northern Rhône examples.
But we must also cast an eye to the south. Young vines in valleys like Neuquén and Rio Negro also give fragrant and fresh examples, thanks to the Patagonian winds that temper the warm climate. True, these are simpler than the best Syrahs from high-altitude Mendoza, but they are still generous in fruit flavours and creamy in texture.
This movement to fresher, lighter wines is a recent phenomenon, so advances are most evident in the most recent vintages. With few exceptions, look for wines from 2012 onwards, where you can taste the progress of Argentinian Syrah.
Passionate Wine, Diverso, Uco Valley, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina, 2012
93
From a small organic vineyard on the heights of Gualtallary, this is a made in a ‘natural’ style, fermented in concrete eggs with wild yeasts. It sees no wood ageing and has a very low alcohol for Mendoza standards. A delicious palate of blackberry juice suave, perfumed and rich in acidity, this is the purest example of Syrah in Argentina.
2012
Passionate WineUco Valley
Finca Las Moras, Gran Syrah, San Juan, Argentina, 2011
91
Grapes are taken from Tulum, Sonda and Pedernal, giving a complete example of the San Juan style. The intense sun here offers strong, juicy, ripe black and red berries as well as a fresh meaty tone. Voluptuous, yet with very good structure to holding all that fruit weight. A wine for roast lamb.
2011
Finca Las Moras
Luca, La Consulta, Laborde Double Select, Uco Valley, La Consulta, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, 2013
91
Marked by a powerful palate full of ripe flavours, yet with a structure of tannins and acidity that give balance, this opulent Syrah comes from vineyards at 1,100m altitide. That cool climate seems to add grassy notes among its seductive sweetness.
2013
LucaUco Valley
Trapiche, Iscay, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, 2011
91
From a young vineyard planted in 2006 in Los Arboles, this is co-fermented with 3% Viognier, It’s a stunning wine, full of wild tannins and great fruit concentration, asking for an equally potent plate of food or a long cellaring of at least five years.
2011
TrapicheLuján de Cuyo
Bodegas del Fin del Mundo, San Patricio del Chañar, Newen Reservado, Patagonia, Argentina, 2012
90
Produced from vines planted in 1999, the first in this area of Patagonia, this is full of meaty flavours and ripe berries. It is luscious and creamy, yet with sharp tannins perfect for grilled meat. The finish is slightly herbal, which adds a refreshing side.
2012
Bodegas del Fin del Mundo
Finca Las Payas, Juanito, San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina, 2014
90
Artisanal producer Santiago Salgado buys Syrah grapes for this wine from a small 15-year-old plot in Usillal at the foothills of the Andes. The result is delicious blackberry juice – simple and gentle. The kind of red you immediately order a second bottle of.
2014
Finca Las PayasSan Rafael
Lagarde, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, 2013
90
True to the style of the wines from Lagarde, this is a Syrah generous in sweet spices, dried fruits and ripe black berries. Its body is broad, unctuous and rich in sweet flavours. A winter wine for blue cheese at the end of a meal.
2013
LagardeLuján de Cuyo
Mauricio Lorca, Opalo, Uco Valley, Vista Flores, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, 2010
90
Generous aromas of charcuterie, ripe fruit and herbal notes, this Syrah is surprisingly young for its five years. Its acidity is vibrant, giving balance to the sweetness of flavours. The texture is so soft that it feels creamy, with enveloping velvety tannins.
2010
Mauricio LorcaUco Valley
Caligiore, Syrah, Ugarteche, Mendoza, Argentina, 2013
89
From one of the highest areas of Luján de Cuyo, at 1,050m above sea level, this Syrah is juicy and ripe, loaded with flavours of sweet blackberry and black pepper spice. A generous example of Syrah – ready to enjoy now with lamb.
2013
CaligioreUgarteche
Finca Decero, Syrah, Luján de Cuyo, Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina, 2012
89
A very good example of the Decero house style, this is a polished Syrah with a soft texture, lively red fruit notes and hints of black pepper. Tasty, simple and easy to enjoy now for a summer barbecue.
2012
Finca DeceroLuján de Cuyo
