Argentina

Argentina gets talked about a lot in wine circles, and it deserves to. Few countries have taken a single grape variety and made it so thoroughly their own — but there's more going on here than Malbec.

The Reserve Cellar's Argentinian wine selection is sourced from producers working at altitude, where the conditions do something interesting. The days are warm enough to ripen fruit fully, the nights drop sharply, and that temperature swing is what gives these wines their structure and freshness. It's not complicated — it just works.

What wine is Argentina famous for?

Malbec, without question. The variety never quite found its footing in Bordeaux, where it was mostly used for blending, but transplanted to the Andes foothills it became something else entirely. Argentina wine is now built on its reputation, and The Reserve's collection covers the full range — bottles you'd open tonight and bottles worth putting away for a few years.

What does Argentine Malbec taste like?

Dark fruit, some violet, a savoury quality that stops it from being too obvious. Mendoza Malbec at the higher elevations, particularly Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, tends to be more structured and less immediately generous than you might expect. These are wines that open up with time, whether that's an hour in a decanter or another vintage in the cellar.

What is the best wine region in Argentina?

Mendoza wine is where most of the serious production happens, and it earns its reputation. But Salta's Cafayate is worth knowing — sitting above 1,700 metres, it produces Torrontés with real aromatic character and Malbec with a different kind of intensity. Patagonia's Río Negro is cooler still, and turning out Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that deserve more attention than they currently get.

There's a lot of ground to cover. Secure your bottles through The Reserve Cellar and start exploring.