When you think of Argentine wine, you probably think of Malbec, right? Well, not so fast.
Yes, Argentina is properly well-known for its Malbec wine, but one of the most underrated and under-the-radar wines from that country is Torrontés. It’s an aromatic white wine that, although it smells sweet and floral, is usually made in a dry style, especially in the higher-elevation vineyards in Salta, Argentina. That’s where Anko Torrontés ($12.99) is produced.
It turns out that “anko” means “high water” in the native Indian language of Salta, located in the northwest corner of Argentina. It’s a rugged area that Anko winemaker Jeff Mausbach describes as “a land of extremes – extreme beauty, extreme altitude, extreme sunlight.”
This wine is 100% sustainably farmed Torrontés from a Cafayate, Salta vineyard, harvested and sorted by hand. It’s a beautiful wine, especially for the low selling price, that I think of as poor man’s Condrieu, with stony minerality, hefty floral aromas and bright citrus fruit flavors. Stock up!