Value and cellar-worthy treats from Mendoza

Mendoza, Argentina is huge. And there’s a ton of diversity in terms of soil, climate, aspect. And then there’s the wide range of winegrowing methods, grapes, and styles of winemakers. It’s all a lot, so this week I’m breaking down wine from three producers worth checking out.

I’ve been a big fan of Trapiche, since their entry-level Malbecs interested me as a 20-something. The value and consistency were there, but they make a wide range of wines and styles. I’m tasting two of their Chards today, the widely-available Oak Cask wine and the high-end Terroir Series Finca Las Piedras, the latter of which is a stunner, a great candidate to throw in a Chardonnay blind tasting, or one to lay down for a few years.

Mascota Vineyards, a Valle de Uco producer that also makes a delightful Pinot Noir, comes out swinging with their Unanime Chardonnay, which offers value and a lot of depth and complexity.

Credit: Pelleriti Priore

Moving on to the reds, I was excited to taste new-to-me producer. They kicked off a new venture, Pelleriti Priore, in 2023 but founders Marcelo Pelleriti and Miguel Priore have been working together on Marcelo Pelleriti wines since 2009. These two wines are exception, deep, vibrant reds from the Valle de Uco, where they’ve clearly found some unique terroir. They’re worthy of a great cut of meat, time in the cellar, and sharing with great friends. If you’re looking for something exceptional from Argentina at a very reasonable price, check these out.

These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.

2023 Trapiche Chardonnay Oak Cask - Argentina, Mendoza
SRP: $10
Rich yellow color. The nose pops with ripe apricot, dried pineapple, yellow apple, infused with notes of honey, floral breeze, some honeysuckle, along with almond skin and some bright minerals. The palate is tangy and inviting with broad texture and vibrant acidity, along with flavors of ruby red grapefruit, white peach, and green apples. Notes of flinty minerals, basil, white pepper, and crushed seashells add complexity. A dynamic and great value Chardonnay for sure. (89 points)

2022 Trapiche Chardonnay Terroir Series Finca Las Piedras - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco

SRP: $53
Light yellow color. The nose pops with white peach, ripe golden pears, mixed with complex tones of almond, hazelnut, vanilla bean, and these brighter elements of chalk and limestone dust. Deep but racy on the palate, plump but well-balanced, with flavors of green and yellow apples, white peach, mixed with almond, hay, and honeyed white tea nuances. Vibrant and complex with interesting essences of minerals, chalk dust, and lime juice running down a limestone cliff. Rich, crisp, complex, a lot going on here. From a cool single vineyard in the Los Arboles subregion, this seems like a special Chardonnay site expressed clearly. (93 points)

2023 Mascota Vineyards Chardonnay Unánime - Argentina, Mendoza
SRP: $20
Ripe yellow with a nose of richer elements like pear butter, almond brittle, and graham cracker, with bright tones of saline and chalk, and papaya drizzled with lime. The palate sports rich texture and crisp acidity, providing lovely balance. Flavors of white peach, yellow pear, and apricot abound, complemented by refined tones of white and yellow flowers, chalk dust, almond skin, and hazelnut. Rich but zesty, a lot of crowd-pleasing qualities combined with balance and poise. (91 points)

2021 Marcelo Pelleriti Malbec Signature - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco

SRP: $28
Bright purple color. A pleasantly smoky, earthy vibe with fig paste, black cherries, black currants, along with complex tones of spicy herbs, black pepper, graphite, minerals, and anise. The palate sports fresh acidity and a full body with moderate tannins and flavors of red and black currants and plums. All sorts of pepper, anise, leather, sage, earth, graphite, and minerals abound. Savory, precise, exciting, but this will take some years to show its best. (93 points)

2022 Marcelo Pelleriti Cabernet Franc Signature - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
SRP: $28
Deep but vibrant purple color with aromas of smoky earth, sage, black pepper, and violets, over black cherries, plum sauce, and currants – lively but deep. The palate has firm grip with suave edges and vibrant acidity, making for a concentrated but balanced Cab Franc. An expressive fruit display of tangy black cherries, red and black currants, backed up by all sorts of complex savory and earthy tones (violet petals, black pepper, roasted red pepper, anise, herbal tea). This is expressive already but seems destined to spend a few years growing in the cellar. (93 points)