We all know now that Argentina can produce some very fine wine, most of it red. I was certainly enthused by many of the wines I noted in Great value from Argentina. Wines of Argentina's energetic representative in the UK, James Forbes, who is leaving to seek other challenges at the end of September, arranged the following tasting of some of Argentina's superstar wines in London in April at the Gaucho restaurant in Swallow Street that has become the unofficial Argentine Wine Embassy. The wines had been selected in Argentina, where a panel of tasters whittled 124 possible 'Super Reserve' candidates down to just over 40.Of course all of us could argue with their choice but there were many very good wines here and some that were truly excellent (search for 18 and 17.5 below).

The many British tasters were asked to vote for their top three wines and these are the results:
Bodega Chacra, Cincuento y Cinco Pinot Noir 2008 Patagonia
Achaval Ferrer, Finca Bella Vista Malbec 2007 Mendoza
Andeluna Cellars, Grand Reserve Cabernet Franc 2005 Mendoza
closely followed by
Trapiche, Adriana Venturin Single Vineyard Malbec 2006 Mendoza
Alta Vista, Alto 2006 Mendoza
Catena Zapata, Adriana Vineyard Malbec 2005 Mendoza

I suspect that the Pinot Noir won so many votes partly because it was so novel and distinctive. I think it's a very good wine and look forward to continuing to monitor the progress of this estate with its connection to Sassicaia in Tuscany, but I do wonder whether it would show quite so well in a line-up of Pinots.

The wines are listed below alphabetically by producer (sur)name.

Achaval-Ferrer, Bella Vista Malbec 2007 Mendoza 16+ Drink 2010-14
Lightly charred nose. Then a little tight and tart but overall good fruit that spreads all across the palate and then rather a chewy finish.

Achaval-Ferrer Malbec 2008 Mendoza 16+ Drink 2009-12
Lively, well balanced, very toothsome and seems less reductive than most? Gentle, loose, though admittedly not trying as hard as many to be super-ripe. Just a little green on the finish. Very similar to the Viñalba Malbec but a little more muted.

Alta Vista, Alto 2006 Mendoza 16 Drink 2010-15
Naughty heavy bottle. Pretty volatile and porty! Then quite chewy. Hot finish. Not really integrated.

Andeluna, Grand Reserve Cabernet Franc 2005 Mendoza 16 Drink 2009-12
Naughty heavy bottle. Fresh nose, less ripe than the Benegas version. More Bordelais in fact. Then great sweetness on the palate. This reminds me a bit of that Valdivieso Chilean Cabernet Franc. A bit chewy and awkward on the finish. Modern and just a little confected.

Atamisque, Reserve Malbec 2007 Maipu 16 Drink 2009-13
Naughty heavy bottle. Interesting blend of freshness, weight and cumin spice. Very sweet, soft start and then a bit of vital spark in the form of acidity. Slightly drying finish mars this unfortunately.

Benegas, Libertad Vineyards Syrah 2006 Mendoza 17.5 Drink 2009-12
Sophisticated nose with good oak management. Sweet start but reined in by some leatheriness. Very complete. Utterly hedonistic but in balance. And does taste of (hot-climate) Syrah!

Benegas, Libertad Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2005 Mendoza 17.5 Drink 2010-15
Fresh nose and then Andean sunshine ripens the whole thing up to a notch above any Cab Franc that has so far come my way. Freshness and real minerality on the finish. In fact it reminds me even more of a good Bierzo than any Cab Franc I can think of. Very clean and refreshing.

Luigi Bosca, Icono 2006 Mendoza 15 Drink 2010-12
Naughty heavy bottle (very!). Spicy nose and lots of acidity on the palate. Thick and a little sludgy - and I find the acidity really uncomfortably unintegrated.

Callia, Gran Callia 2006 San Juan 14.5 Drink 2009-11
Naughty heavy bottle. Valle de Tulum blend of Syrah with Malbec, Tannat and Merlot. A bit hot and rustic. I do wonder whether this area isn't just too hot for fine wine?

Carinae, Prestige 2005 Mendoza 17.5 Drink 2008-13
Naughty heavy bottle. Quite subtle and interesting. Certainly very well balanced. So melded! Lots there for the money.

Catena Zapata, Catena Alta Malbec 2006 Mendoza 18 Drink 2011-17
Admirably, no naughty heavy bottle!!! Toasty, low key, very different form the norm. Much skinnier but so much more of the appeal. Lots of lively acidity and very Bordeaux. Bone dry on the end . Bravo! I do think this leads the way. But it's very different from almost all its peers.

Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard Malbec 2005 Mendoza 17.5 Drink 2011-16
Naughty heavy bottle. Very sophisticated, restrained nose. Much drier (as opposed to sweet) than most of its peers and with lots of fresh acidity though good, quite complex fruit. Just a little angularity at the moment but this is clearly built to develop, which not all of them seem to be.

Chacra, Cincuenta y Cinco Pinot Noir 2008 Rio Negro 16 Drink 2010-14
Very rich, warm Pinot aromas. Sweet start and then notable bracken flavours and lots of acidity. Not sweet and mellifluous - a rather untamed version of Pinot, but certainly not too sweet or confected. Dry finish. Earthy and astringent.

Chacra, Treinta y Dos Pinot Noir 2008 Rio Negro 16.5 Drink 2011-15
Relatively simple Pinot aromas and smoother textured than the wine above. Still far from classic but less aggressive.

Don Cristóbal 1492, Triana 2006 Mendoza 16 Drink 2008-10
Ripe and scented. Very, very sweet! Soft and attention-grabbing in typical Napa Cabernet style. Not the most refreshing.

Fabre Montmayou, Gran Reserva Malbec 2007 Luján de Cuyo 17 Drink 2009-13
Mellow, very Argentine-vineyard flavours but with Bordeaux structure - a pretty winning combo! Tea leaves and interest and excellent balance. Good for food? No heat.

Zuccardi, Zeta 2006 Mendoza 17.5 Drink 2009-13
Thick, sweet, rich, a little heavy but with that moustache breathing authenticity into it. Savoury finish. Well done! The blend works really well - not too sweet. Velvety texture.

Decero, Mini Edición Petit Verdot 2006 Agrelo 17 Drink 2011-15
Super-ripe Petit Verdot is no bad thing! Very rich and ripe yet scented and in good appetising balance. Strong black fruits aromas. Could be a useful educational tool for those trying to get to grips with Petit Verdot. Powerful tannins still!

La Chamiza, Martin Alsina 2006 Luján de Cuyo 17.5 Drink 2008-13
Naughty heavy bottle. Not much nose. Very sweet and round. Utterly flattering and charming with real transparency and a certain floral character. Hides its alcohol well. Finishes with great vitality. Beginning, middle and end.

Flichman, Dedicado 2006 Mendoza 16 Drink 2011-13
Naughty heavy bottle. Light nose with lots of acidity, even a little bit of greenness but it IS refreshing! Chewy end. Uncomfortable at the moment.

Flichman, Paisaje De Tupungato 2006 Tupungato 15.5 Drink 2010-14
70% Malbec plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Full, sweet and pretty heavy. A bit tarry. Chewy tannins on the finish. And a certain syrupiness and very high volatility.

La Guarda, El Guardado Syrah 2008 San Juan 14 Drink 20??
46rom Tulum, the Syrah hotspot. Volatile. On the way to oxidation. No!

Kaiken, Ultra Malbec 2006 Mendoza 16 Drink 2010-13
Thick and sweet. A little heavy. It does taste a little Chilean!

Krontiras, Doná Silvina Reserva Malbec 2006 Luján de Cuyo 16.5 Drink 2009-12
Naughty heavy bottle. Made by Panos Zouboulis who also makes wine in Greece at La Tour Melas.
Sweet, round and a bit diffuse with lots of white chocolate notes. Flattering but not that appetising.

Melipal, Reserve Malbec 2006 Mendoza 16.5? Drink 2009-13
Spicy nose and very worked, smooth fruit. Appetising but with a very dry finish. Very smooth if undramatic. May show better in the long term and with food?

Navarro Correas, Structura Ultra 2006 Mendoza 15.5 Drink 2009-12
Naughty heavy bottle. Dense and thick and elderberry aromas. Then the fruit seems a bit dead on the mid palate. Sour finish and not quite enough juice in the middle.

Nieto Senetiner, Limited Edition Bonarda 2007 Agrelo 15.5 Drink 2009-11
Tempus Two-metal adorned bottle. Sweet and juicy and more than a hint of treacle toffee. Some slight greenness on the finish. A little austere. Lacks the flesh and opulence of the Malbecs.

Noemia, J Alberto Malbec 2008 Rio Negro 17 Drink 2009-13
Scented, very direct nose. Extremely polished even if a little alcoholic. Almost essence of Malbec. Already possible to drink, so polished are the tannins.

Noemia, Malbec 2007 Rio Negro 17.5 Drink 2010-16
More complex than the J Alberto with more refreshment value. More obvious acidity too. More of a long-distance runner. A bit of a racehorse. More alcohol than in bordeaux but with much the same structure otherwise.

Poesia 2005 Luján de Cuyo 16 Drink 2008-10
Very sweet, smoky and overripe. I feel as though this style is a bit like shoulder pads: in fashion for a short time only. Not appetising enough for me. The acidity sticks out a bit.

RJ Viñedos, RJ Malbec 2004 Uco Valley 16.5 Drink 2010-15
One of the oldest wines here. Sweet, rich, verging on volatile. A bit old fashioned/syrupy style but a great mouthful of fruit reined in by some tarriness. Pretty good for those who like mass. But there is still lots of chewy tannin here.

Tapiz, Selección de Barricas 2005 Tupungato 17+ Drink 2009-14
Naughty heavy bottle. Intriguing and complex blend offering real value. And refreshment. Appetising finish.

Tapiz, Black Tears Malbec 2006 Uco Valley 16.5 Drink 2009-12
Naughty heavy bottle. Big, almost overripe nose. I preferred Tapiz' less dramatic wines myself from memory. Very big and round. Long and alcoholic. I can't help feeling there was a brett risk with this wine!

Michel Torino, Ciclos Malbec/Merlot 2006 Cafayate 15.5 Drink 2010-14
Spicy nose. Pretty hot nose and then lots of acidity on the palate. Not really integrated. Still quite a bit of tannin too.

Pascual Toso, Alta Reserva Syrah 2006 Maipú 15 Drink 2008-10
Bright crimson. Sweet at first and then as though some of the flavour has been boiled out. Messy finish.

Pascual Toso, Magdalena Toso 2005 Mendoza 16 Drink 2007-10
Naughty heavy bottle. Malbec with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Very dark. Nicely balanced blend that seems fully evolved. Fine tannins. Lively and far from heavy. Sinewy. Quite evolved.

Trapiche, Single Vineyard Adriana Venturin Malbec 2006 La Consulta 17 Drink 2011-16
Naughty heavy bottle. Very dark crimson. Lively zesty nose. Dense, thick, tarry, verging on syrupy but (just) not quite - though the tannins are very drying on the finish. I suspect we are tasting this a bit early.

Viñalba, Reserva Malbec 2007 Luján de Cuyo 16.5 Drink 2009-12
Complete and very well balanced. Lively and round and juicy with an end of smoke and tarmacadam. Fresh finish even if not the most luscious and long. But a really good-value introduction to modern Argentina. GV
£9.99 Majestic

Viña Alicia, Cuarzo 2006 Luján de Cuyo 17.5+ Drink 2009-13
95% Petit Verdot! Naughty heavy bottle.
Blackish crimson. Glowing colour. Sweet start and then very lush and almost malted-milk-like. SO flattering! Well balanced. Quite alcoholic. But good minerality too. Chewy finish. Interesting! And in good balance.

Dom Vistalba, Tomero Gran Reserva Malbec 2006 Mendoza 17 Drink 2009-12
Naughty heavy bottle. Very dark crimson. Good, clean, direct scent. Lots of sweetness and freshness. Care has been taken to preserve fresh fruit here. Zesty. Quite long though the fruit may not be dense enough to survive all that long, I suspect.

Dom Vistalba, Corte A 2006 Luján de Cuyo 16.5 Drink 2008-10
Naughty heavy bottle. Fully evolved and sweet. Very flattering already. Sufficient acidity. The only problem seems to me to be a lack of potential for further development.