2019 Susana Balbo Wines ‘Crios’ Torrontes

Wine description
Enticing aromas that are strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of white pear, white flowers and citrus fruit. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavours that keep you coming back for another sip. Plenty of body for a wine that shows such delicate aromas and flavours. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry

Facts about the wine
Winery Crios
Grapes Torrontés
Region
Argentina / Mendoza / Uco Valley
Wine style Argentinian Torrontés
Alcohol content 13.9%
Allergens Contains sulfites

Argentinian Torrontés Interesting Facts
Chile grows Torrontés Riojano grapes to make Pisco, the country’s national spirit. The Cafayete region is made up of some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world. Torrontés has many of the same characteristics as Muscat because it’s an offspring of the Muscat of Alexandria grape. South American Torrontés is unrelated to the Torrontés grape grown in the Galicia region of Spain. The name ‘Torrontés’, used for these grapes in Argentina dates back to the middle of the 19th century.

Get to know the style

Argentina’s Torrontés grape produces a highly aromatic dry white wine with dazzling aromas of honeysuckle, orange blossoms, lavender, geranium and rose petals. On the palate, these wines are crisp with bright, and refreshing citrus and tropical fruit notes along with great minerality. Some boast a lingering, spicy finish. There are three types of Torrontés found in South America: Torrontés Riojano, a highly aromatic wine; Torrontés Sanjuanino, which is less fragrant than the Riojano, and the Torrontés Mendocino, the least expressive of the three. Torrontés thrives in high-altitude, cool, dry climates. The Riojano shows the most depth in Argentina’s Cafayate region of Salta, situated on the edge of the Andes Mountains in the northwestern part of the country. Wine critics warn that when Torrontés is grown in warmer climates or not produced properly, it can be over-alcoholic and bitter.

Cafayate Wine
Cafayate is a wine-producing region in the northwest of Argentina, located within the wider Calchaqui Valley – one of the highest places in the world suitable for viticulture. The town of Cafayate sits near the southern border of Argentina’s northernmost wine region, Salta, although administratively it is a part of the Salta Province.

Aromatic and Floral White Wine
From the white blended wines of the northern Rhône to the Torrontés wines made in Argentina’s high-altitude vineyards, this is a broad group of often very complex wines. The Alsace region is particularly associated with this style. White wines from most varieties grown here are often richly textured and aromatic, with Gewurztraminer slightly ahead of Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Characteristics
Flowers, perfume, spice
Honey, oiliness
Aromas and tastes of table grapes (especially Muscat family)

Torrontés from Argentina Food pairing with floral and aromatic white wines
As with most wine style categories it is hard to generalize. What unites these wines is their strength of aroma, not their precise aromatic characters, or the chemical compounds which contribute to this.