Is Achaval Ferrer Argentina's best wine producer, what do you think?
Have you tasted A-F wines? What do you think?

The single vineyard Malbec's are the best wines I've had from Argentina, but I've had an alarmingly high rate of TCA taint in bottles since the 2003 vintage, and every single wooden box I've had from Achaval Ferrer has reeked of taint.

quote:

Originally posted by Stefania Wine:
The single vineyard Malbec's are the best wines I've had from Argentina, but I've had an alarmingly high rate of TCA taint in bottles since the 2003 vintage, and every single wooden box I've had from Achaval Ferrer has reeked of taint.

You don't like taint on your nose, Paul?

Definitely highly regarded by me. I know Emilio speaks very highly of Vino Cobos -

I think Cuvelier de Los Andes make some very fine wines. I also think the South Florida contingency at the Miami International Wine Fair were uniformly impressed by the top wine from Andes Grapes

I'm surprised by the high level of corked wine in Achaval since the inspect all the corks twice before releasing the wine. But during my recent trip there, I had way too many corked wines (restaurant and tastings...). Maybe JM could chip in here and share his experience.
I'm not sure I'll go as far as saying Achaval is the best winery in Argentina. Their wines are good but i would not put them in 1st place. I think their Quimera is way overated but their single Finca vineyards are indeed good (if they worth $80+ is another question). But their straight Malbec, under $20, is a treat.
Mendel and Weinert (very classic stryle) really impressed me, Bodega Colome in Salta is also pretty good.
Question of style and preferences I guess..
Cuvelier is part of the Clos de Los Siete project and I have to say that they all have a pretty similar style (Cuvelier, Flechas, DiamAndes etc...). Monteviejo is more elegant among the group.

Bodega Catena Zapata wines are very good

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Originally posted by french16:
Cuvelier is part of the Clos de Los Siete project and I have to say that they all have a pretty similar style (Cuvelier, Flechas, DiamAndes etc...). Monteviejo is more elegant among the group.

Those are all Rolland wines.
I don't like Valle de Uco wines. Herbaceous all of them: Salentein, Andeluna, Azul, Clos de los Siete, etc. I made the Tupungato wine road years ago.
And I don't think Malbec is the best of our wines. Rather prefer exclusive 'cortes', like Miguel Brascó 279, 2002. That's a stupendous Argentinean wine. To drink today.

Another vote for very good wines but too many experiences with TCA. Of the 6 bottles I've tried in the last few years, 3 were clearly corked, including a Quimera.

I prefer the Achaval base Malbec to the Catena, Both are good though. I like the Colome Estate a lot as well.

I bought quite a bit of the '07 Achaval and have not had any issues with TCA. Interesting that it is such an issue. For the folks that have had problems, what percentage of the wines that you tasted would you say were tainted?

I gave up buying Catena wines because of too many corked bottles. Definitely prefer Achaval Ferrer.

quote:

Originally posted by french16:

Mendel and Weinert (very classic stryle) really impressed me, Bodega Colome in Salta is also pretty good.
Question of style and preferences I guess..
Cuvelier is part of the Clos de Los Siete project and I have to say that they all have a pretty similar style (Cuvelier, Flechas, DiamAndes etc...). Monteviejo is more elegant among the group.

Good input F16. Thank you.
I will keep my eye sharp for this producer.

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Originally posted by steve8:
I gave up buying Catena wines because of too many corked bottles. Definitely prefer Achaval Ferrer.

I really prefer Achaval over most others by far.
However, I'm open minded.

Their standard Malbec is exceptional, with Bodega Colome right there with it.

I have some of their single-vineyard Malbecs in my cellar but won't be opening them for a while.

When it is "on" Nicolas Catena Zapata is a Wow wine.

Have not had the higher end A-Fs, evidently their MD distributor puts such a significant surcharge on these that my retailer refuses to pony up based on principle.

I meant to mention Colome - really enjoyed the bottle Vino Me brough to Emilio's house

O. Fournier makes some very good wines as well, the Malbec and Alfa Crux are both excellent.

Love his wines! Sadly, this is one place that I was too sick to make it to my appointment when I was in Argentina.

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Originally posted by RATER:
Is Achaval Ferrer Argentina's best wine producer, what do you think?
Have you tasted A-F wines? What do you think?

I've only had one bottle, which I bought at a very nice (and expensive) restaurant in Palm Beach because it was one of the few value wines on the list. I thought it was quite good, and would certainly have it again. No problem with TCA.

Too many very good producers from Argentina to limit the choices between A-F and Catena, though I believe that bottle for bottle Catena produces the most consistenly good wines across all price points. That said, I've the A-F Mendoza malbec and several vintages of the Quimera and have found them more than acceptable.

Any discussion of Argentinian reds should not exclude:

Felipe Rutini
Tikal
Luigi Bosca
Alma Negra (Catena/Bartholomaus venture)
Bodegas Norton (used to be very good; haven't tried any in a while)
Trapiche (single-vineyard malbecs are very good)
Vinos Cobos

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Originally posted by Jcocktosten:
I meant to mention Colome - really enjoyed the bottle Vino Me brough to Emilio's house

Was it the Estate Malbec or Amalaya?

2003 Bodega Colome Reserva - according to VM

A-F is my favorite Argentine wine producer. I have gone through literally tens of wines from them, ranging from the basic Mendoza malbec to the single vineyard malbecs (Altamira is my favorite). I have yet to taste a corked bottle from these guys. I must be lucky.

Catena..is simply awesome! and then the break offs like Luca..This is Malbec like you have never tasted..Not to mention Susana Balbo and
small producers like Tikal..

I really like Cheval des Andes. I believe it is Cheval Blancs project out there. The last couple of vintages I have tried where very good.

Over the years, personally I have had one corked wine from Achával-Ferrer [CORRECTED]. See additional post below...

TCA, and in the case of South American wineries, TBA, is definitely a problem however. I sometimes receive samples delivered in wooden and/or cardboard boxes that reek. I smell it on foils too from time to time. However, this taint may or may not be coming from the winery and may or may not be in the wines - it could be coming from other sources along the delivery route, after the wine has been bottled.

As for the question of 'who's best', that what makes horse races. I think qualitatively for their respective styles both Achával-Ferrer (racy, acid-driven) and Bodega Catena Zapata (lushly oaked, fruit-driven) are the best examples in Argentinean Malbec right now.

There are many other outstanding producers as well. My latest annual report is now out (Dec. 15 issue) and here is the full alphabetical chart of the 600 Argentinean wines I reviewed since my 2008 report.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: James Molesworth,