Tim Atkin Argentina Special Report 2019: Wine Analysis

From his first report in 2012 to the 2019 edition, Tim Atkin MW has seen a great evolution of Argentine wine.
This is what he highlights in this latest report, in which he also laments the recurring crises that hinder the development of the wine industry in our country.
Atkin recognizes that Argentine wines have strengthened their identity: international consultants have less and less weight and local winemakers -who keep themselves updated and in touch with what is happening in the world- are betting on wines that express more and more their own identity.
terroir specific.
These are the ten points with which Atkin summarizes the most relevant data of wine production in our country in 2019:

  1. Argentina is the largest wine producer in South America and the fifth largest in the world.
  2. Production frontiers are expanding: from Jujuy to Chubut there is an immense variety of possibilities.
  3. The best Argentine wines are currently defined by their terroir and their terroirThey are driven by intuitive experimentation but also by the scientific evidence provided by the knowledge of the soils.
  4. The weight of the vintage year is becoming more and more relevant and provides variety.
  5. Argentina can produce any type of grape due to its variety of climates: not everything is Malbec.
  6. The level of the Argentine white wines has been improving year after year and competes with the best in Chile.
  7. Freshness and balance have transformed the style of the best reds.
  8. There is a rediscovery of Hispanic roots with the rise of the Criolla Chica variety.
  9. In the face of falling domestic consumption, Argentina must focus on the premium sector.
  10. Economic problems and political uncertainty are hurting the wine industry and the country in general.

Beyond the current problems, Atkin is enthusiastic about the creativity and strength of Argentine wines.
The talent of the new generations of winemakers, the experience of those who have been working for a long time, together with the potential of vineyards such as Gualtallary, Uspallata, San Pablo, El Challao, Chubut and Quebrada de San Lucas, augur excellent wines for the coming years.
The data are promising: 67.46% of the wines scored above 90 points in this report.
In the previous edition the percentage was 59.88%.
This is a remarkable leap in quality.

These are some of the Rutini Wines labels highlighted in the report: