…and they are marvelous!
Mendoza may be known mostly for Malbec and other powerhouse red grape varieties, but the region’s white wines have been a major part of its viticultural history. In fact, up until about the 1990’s, Mendoza made more white wines than red! The switch came under the influence of flying winemakers, mostly from Europe, who saw the potential in Malbec. The region’s white wines should not be overlooked, however—especially with the expansion of vineyards in Uco Valley, Mendoza’s highest elevation vineyards that offer a perfect climate for many white wine varieties.
From Chardonnay and Semillón to the native Torrontés and Italian-imported Fiano, Mendoza does not disappoint! Below are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
TOP WHITE WINES OF MENDOZA:
Laureano Gómez | Semillón-Chardonnay Reserva 2019
I love starting my list with a “garage winery”. Laureano Gomez served for many years as winemaker for both Trapiche and Salentein (two important producers in Mendoza) before deciding to make wine under his own label. Though no longer the tiny operation it once was, Laureano Gomez is still a boutique winery, making under 200,000 bottles per year, including its famous Pinot Noir, which was just awarded Argentina’s Best Pinot Noir.
His blend of Semillon-Chardonnay shows his ability to make wine from other cool-climate grape varieties. In this wine, you get great acidity, notes of apple and lemon and a light embrace of oak.
Catena Zapata | “Angélica Zapata” Chardonnay Alta 2018
A naturally cool-climate grape, Chardonnay has found its Argentinian home in the high elevation vineyards of Uco Valley in Mendoza, an area whose development was in large part spearheaded by the Catena family—arguably the most important winery family in Argentina. The Angelica Chardonnay, named after the mother of Nicholas Catena, founder of Catena Zapata. and grandmother of Laura and Adrianna, is one of my favorites. It drinks much more like an Old-world Chardonnay than one from the New World. Do I even dare say it is Mendoza’s answer to Chablis? Yes, I do.
Michelini & Muffato | “Certezas” Semillón 2017
This husband and wife team are Argentinian wine world royalty! Andrea Muffato is an award-winning and highly respected enologist and Gerardo Michelini is one of the Michelini Brothers who are revolutionizing Mendoza wine one label at a time. Their Semillon comes from high-elevation vineyards in the El Peral and Tupungato sub-regions of Uco Valley; oakey, but balanced with umame flavors and a beautiful lemon curd finish; complex yet fresh. Harder to find outside of Mendoza, but if you do, you will be a happy royal subject!
Caelum | Fiano Gran Reserva 2017
Caelum, a small family-run winery in the Lujan de Cuyo region of Mendoza that got its start growing pistacchios, only makes about 3000 bottles of this special wine. Fiano is a grape variety hailing from Southern Italy, especially in the region of Campania. It typically gives wines with honeyed and floral notes as well as tropical fruit. Caelum’s Fiano, which sees about a year in oak, gives much more lemon and apple flavors as well as a toasted almond finish. The elegant acidity creates a beautiful balance to this complex, yet crisp white wine.
Susana Balbo | Barrel Fermented Torrontés 2018
I could not write about Argentinian white wines without the mention of Torrontés. When the Spanish missionaries came to the continent, they brought grapes to make sacramental wine. Over the years one of these became a wild grape, referred to as Criolla, which was eventually used to make wine again centuries later. When Criolla Chica got together with Muscat de Alexandria, an ancient grape variety most likely brought over by Spanish and Italian immigrants (found in large part in Southerneastern Spain and Southern Italy), they created Torrontés, an aromatic grape variety used to make mainly dry, floral white wines in Argentina.
Grown mostly in the high-elevation vineyards (some of the highest in the world!) of Salta and Cafayate to the north of Mendoza, Torrontés also does well in the higher vineyards of Uco Valley. Susana Balbo, a force in the Mendoza wine industry, makes this barrel-fermented Torrontés, which has a complexity and structure that most Torrontés wines do not, while retaining the characteristic white flowers and perfectly ripe peach notes (a nod to its parent grape, Muscat). I’m not a big believer in wine scores, but this wine consistently gets mid-90s scores across the Wine Titan lists. See for yourself!
Piedra Negra | Pinot Gris Rosado 2019
On a hot summer day in February (hello Southern Hemisphere!), there is perhaps no better wine to have alongside your empanada while looking out onto vineyards and the Andes mountains in the distance than this thirst-quenching rosé of pinot gris. I got to experience this combination just over a month ago and it was pure perfection, folks! (Come with me next year! Info here.)
A rosé in a white wine article?! For starters, yes, rosés often get bunched into the white wine section of a restaurant’s wine list, and Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio (which means “Pinot Grey” in either the French and Italian) is the non-white white grape: It has a grayish-blue or rosey-brownish coloring. To make a rosé from this grape just requires some contact with the grape juice and its skins. Voila!
