Argentina’s Alternative Top-Rated Wine

In horse racing parlance, Argentina’s Cabernet Sauvignon has a lesser pedigree and longer odds than its Malbec. Still, it’s good enough to run alongside Malbec at times, and if you were looking for a second horse for, say, an exacta bet, you’d be smart to pick Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Franc is something of a dark horse, but gaining ground fast.
Requiring warm days, cool nights and dry conditions—all of which can be found in abundance in Mendoza, Argentina’s prime wine region—Cabernet Sauvignon has emerged as a vital cog in Argentina’s wine industry, offering fans an attractive alternative to Malbec.
Beyond Mendoza, Cabernet Sauvignon is also made in northerly Cafayate and southerly Patagonia, but with less consistent results.
With an overriding style that’s rounder, riper and less spicy and herbal than the Cabernets from neighboring Chile or Bordeaux, Argentine Cabernets can best be compared to those from Napa Valley or Washington State.
Photos by Monica Stevenson
1Going from Good to Great
2Argentina’s Top Cabernet Sauvignons
3Best Value Cabernet Sauvignons
4A Budding Star?
5Recommended Cabernet Francs