Recently Wine Spectator came up with a list of 13 "stylish values" from Argentina, wines under $20 that came with ratings of 87 or higher. Well, we here at Argovino can do a little better than that. We track wine prices from all over the Internet every day to assess the best values from across the country. So here are our 13 top picks this week.
Malbec. We rated all of these fabulous selections 90 points or higher, and three of them are under $15 as of this writing. The Layer Cake is the lushest in style, and the Co-Ferment is the most exotic. The others are simply wonderful expressions of Argentina's greatest grape.* Layer Cake Malbec 2011 - 90 points - $10.98* Alta Vista Premium Malbec 2010 - 90 points - $11.95* Finca Decero Malbec 2010 - 91 points - $13.99* Tinto Negro Co-Ferment Malbec 2010 - 92 points - $15.99
Red Blends. For years, blends sold at a discount on store shelves in Argentina, as the public preferred pure varietals. This is finally starting to change - with good reason - but in the meantime American consumers can benefit from some amazing price-to-quality ratios. We could hardly believe the prices of the Benegas Don Tiburcio and the Trivento Amado Sur after we tasted them!* Benegas Don Tiburcio 2009 - 91 points - $9.59* Trivento Amado Sur 2009 - 90 points - $11.99* Norton Privada 2009 - 93 points - $19.33* Vistalba Corte B 2009 - 92 points - $19.99
Whites. Not all Argentine wines need to be drunk young - in fact, not even all whites. A few of these wines have some age on them, but they are also full of complexity and depth. If you're a fan of aged French chardonnay, don't miss Argentina's answer from Joffre e Hijas. And the Pascual Toso torrontes shows a whole new side of the grape.* Pascual Toso Torrontes 2010 - 90 points - $7.99* Elsa Bianchi Chardonnay 2011 - 90 points - $8.99* Finca Domingo Torrontes 2011 - 90 points - $11.69* Joffre e Hijas Grand Chardonnay 2009 - 91 points - $11.69* DiamAndes Viognier 2010 - 91 points - $15.99
We think these wines represent even better values than the Wine Spectator list, showing once and for all that price isn't everything when it comes to great wine. We hope you enjoy them. Salud!