As a true wine-making varietal, Torrontés is grown almostexclusively in Argentina.Neighboring Chilegrows a little, but is mainly used to make pisco,a type of brandy. The exact origins of the grape are unknown, although it'sbelieved to have come from the Eastern Mediterranean.
What are these wines? They're halfway between Viognier andSauvignon Blanc to my taste. They're usually quite fragrant -- lots of floraland citrus. They range in style from light-to-medium bodied. They're made tofinish relatively dry and crisp. They're excellent wines to have on their ownand their acidity makes them flexible with food. Like many Argentine wines,they're generally good values. If you want to break out of a white wine rut,here are some ideas for exploring this newly-available quaffer:
N%u014Dmade 2007 Torrontés-- At first sniff, the N%u014Dmade struck me with its very pretty nose. As Imentioned, these wines can lean towards Viognier in scent, and this is noexception. The bottle label suggests orange blossoms, and I wouldn't argue. Itsmells a little like lavender to me, also. The flavor, however, is nothing likea Viognier. While fruity, it's not nearly as "thick" as a Viognier. It'srather light bodied and crisp with some sauvignon-ish grapefruit flavors. Thefinish is medium-dry with a lingering hint of that perfumey nose. I could seethis being really good with spicy Thai or Korean food. $12-14.
Lurton 2007 Flor de Torrontés-- The Lurton has a much more subtle scent. The nose is more tropical thanperfume, more sliced peaches than peach blossoms. The body is considerablylighter and less fruity overall, although there is some acidity still there. Thefinish is gentle, but a tad watery and a little tart. While it wasn't myfavorite of this varietal, it was refreshing enough to be a decent pool winecome summer, although finding something for that purpose that would fit thebill a little better probably wouldn't be difficult. $9-11.
Alamos 2006 Torrontés-- I've been very happy with the red wines, especially the malbec, from Alamos.Their Torrontés is an interesting addition to their exports. The nose of thewine is in-between the previous two in strength. There's more of a citruscharacter -- oranges and grapefruits -- to go with those typical peaches. Thebody of this wine is quite light and somewhat acidic. If not for the nose, thiscould have been a pinot grigio. The finish is similar to a pinot grigio, also. I'dpair this up with the typical pinot grigio foods -- seafood and creamy sauces, aswell as almost any kind of spicy cuisine like curry. Interestingly, we'd madesome pasta with red clam sauce, and the wines we had on hand that we thoughtwould pair…well…didn't. We went with this Torrontés. It wasn't bad in a pinch.$8-10.
