Tim Atkin Argentina Special Report 2019: Wine Insights

From his first report in 2012 to the 2019 edition, Tim Atkin MW has seen a great evolution in Argentine wine. This is highlighted in this last report, which also regrets the recurrent crisis that hinder the development of the wine industry in our country. Atkin acknowledges that Argentinian wines have strengthened their identity: international consultants are becoming less and less important and local winemakers – who stay up-to-date and in touch with what is happening in the world – choose wines that increasingly express their specific terroir .

These are the ten points in which Atkin summarizes the most relevant data on wine production in our country in 2019:

  1. Argentina is the largest producer of wines in South America and the fifth worldwide.
  2. The 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, driven by intuitive experimentation but also by scientific evidence provided by the study of  soils.
  4. The weight of the harvest year is increasingly relevant and provides variety.
  5. Argentina can produce any type of grape due to its variety of climates: Malbec is not the only option.
  6. The level of the Argentine white wines is improving year after year and competes with Chile’s bests.
  7. Freshness and balance have transformed the style of the best red wines.
  8. There is a rediscovery of Hispanic roots with the boom of the Criolla Chica grape variety.
  9. Faced with the drop in domestic consumption, Argentina should focus on the premium market.
  10. Economic problems and political uncertainty are damaging the wine industry and the country in general.  

Beyond the current troubles, Atkin is enthusiastic about the creativity and the strength of Argentine wines. The talent of the new generations of winemakers, the experience of those who have been working these last decades, together with the potential of vineyards such as Gualtallary, Uspallata, San Pablo, El Challao, Chubut and the Quebrada de San Lucas, predict wines of excellence for the next years. The data is promising: 67.46% of the wines obtained in this report a score above 90 points. In the previous edition the percentage had been 59.88%. This is a remarkable quality leap.  

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

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