The Torrontés Grape

(Synonyms: Torrontés Riojano: Malvasia, Torrontel, Torrontel Riojano; Torrontés Sanjuanino: Moscatel Romano, Moscatel Sanjuanino Torrontel; Torrontés Mendocino: Chichera, Loca Blanca, Palet, Torrontel, Uva Chichera, Torrontés Mendozino)

Background

Torrontés is a white-wine grape originating in South America, probably in its current home of Argentina. Actually, though, Torrontés (like Muscat, to which it seems to be related) is not a single grape type, but a small family of closely related grapes, three in number: Torrontés Riojano, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. We have not made separate pages for those three types but will try to here deal with them collectively. Most comments hold that the Torrontés Riojano grape produces the best “Torrontés” wines.

It is hard to say for sure, but chances are that Torrontés wines from the northern provinces of Argentina—La Rioja and Salta—will be that preferred Riojano, while wines from San Juan and the Mendoza area are often one of the other two types. (Also, do beware bottlings of “Torrontes” from elsewhere than Argentina, because they are often some other grape altogether that happens to locally be called “Torrontes”).

Torrontés is today one of the defining wines of Argentina, indeed one of the defining whites of the South American continent (some is also now made in Chile, though of which kind of Torrontés is less clear). Modern bottlings of Torrontés cover quite a spectrum of quality, from bland plonk to exciting, aromatic and distinctively flavored gems. DNA analysis suggests that one of the parents of Torrontés is Muscat of Alexandria, and better Torrontés wines display some of the characteristic rich aromas and flavors of Muscat wines.

Well-made Torrontés is a medium-bodied wine of some crispness from moderate acidity, and with an assertive nose and palate of stone fruit (typically apricot and peach) with definite overtones of spice and flowers (as in Muscats). It is a wine meant to be drunk while quite young and fresh, and specimens more than a year old should be treated with caution. It is perhaps not a great wine, but it can be very pleasing and refreshing, with an identity all its own. Regrettably, many bottlings trade on the current almost fad popularity of the wines and are sadly mediocre and uninteresting.

Factoid: Torrontés is 10% of the white-grape plantings in Argentina, but 20% of its white-wine sales.

Some Descriptions of Torrontés Wines

Wikipedia
“Torrontés is a white Argentine wine grape variety, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel as well as distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose…According to wine expert Jancis Robinson, Torrontés has the capability of producing wines of high quality, but its success is dependent on the skill and care of the winemaking process, particularly in maintaining suitable acid levels to balance the wine. At its most ideal, Robinson notes, Torrontés are wines for early drinking that are not too heavy, are high in acidity, and are intriguingly aromatic in a way reminiscent of but not identical to Muscat. But poorer made examples can come across as bitter and excessively alcoholic.”
Ray Isle, CNN
“Torrontés, a white grape, makes wines that are flamboyantly aromatic—think bouquet-of-flowers-plus-mandarin-oranges—medium-bodied and full of juicy, citrus flavor. Grow the vines someplace cool, and the wine’s delicious; grow it somewhere too warm, and the stuff goes wildly over the top and smells like a fruit truck some madman drove into a perfume shop. That tends to mean the best Torrontés comes from Salta, in northwest Argentina, where the lowest vineyards are around 5,000 feet elevation and the highest is above 10,000—breathtaking in more ways than one.”
Jane A. Nickles, Wine, Wit, and Wisdom (the Official Blog of the Society of Wine Educators)
“Torrontés, a vinifera cross native to Argentina, is known for producing crisp, fruity, and floral wines redolent of peach, apricot, mandarin orange, honey, melon, and rose. While Chile, Spain, and a few other countries grow grapes that go by the same name, Torrontés—actually several closely-related varieties—is grown primarily in Argentina…A wine labeled ‘Torrontés’ from Argentina may actually be made from three separate but related varieites. Torrontés Riojano is the most widely grown, the most aromatic, and is considered to produce the highest quality wines. Torrontés Mendocino, the least aromatic, is also the least widely grown; and Torrontés Sanjuanino takes the middle ground…Of the versions of the grape grown in Argentina, Torrontés Riojano is by far the most widely grown and renowned. As the name suggests, it thrives in the La Rioja region, and is also widely planted in Mendoza and the Salta region of northern Argentina. It seems to do particularly well in the arid, ultra-high altitude vineyards of Salta where the conditions allow the grape to retain a crisp acidity and develop the intense floral aromas the grape is known for. Torrontés Sanjuanino is planted mainly in the San Juan province, but even there plays second fiddle to Torrontés Riojano. Torrontés Mendocino, despite being named after Mendoza, is rarely seen there and is mostly found in the southern province of Rio Negro.”
wineaccess
“The variety yields light, scented white wines with moderate-to-high acidity, recognized for their sleek texture and distinctive aromas reminiscent of Muscat and Gewurztraminer…Wines labeled Torrontés are generally light-to-medium-bodied, highly acidic, and exceptionally aromatic, with notes of citrus fruits, peach, floral oils, lichee, and brown spices. While often compared to Muscat (not unjustly), many of these wines are reminiscent of Gewurztraminer, with a light spiciness and floral components on the nose…However, one important note to consumers: these wines do not age very well, and should ideally be drunk within a year or two of the vintage date.”
Wine Searcher
“Argentine Torrontes is marked by its floral aromas, which are distinctive of its membership of the extended Muscat family. Its scents are often described as soapy and lightly spicy, with the smell of white flowers…The wines are usually produced fresh and crisp without oak maturation and are best consumed within one or two years of release.”
Eric Asimov, The New York Times
“The ancestry of the Torrontés is interesting only in that it most definitely bears more than a passing resemblance to the gloriously fragrant muscat. The best Torrontés are highly aromatic, exuberantly floral with a rich, hothouse citrus scent as well. Dip your nose into a glass, and you don’t know whether it ought to be sold as a wine or a perfume…It was clear right away that Torrontés has issues of identity. These wines were all over the stylistic map. Some were indeed dry, light-bodied and crisp, like pinot grigios. Others were broad, heavy and rich, like ultra-ripe California chardonnays. This may be a problem…Wherever the wines landed on the spectrum, we found that their level of quality depended on one crucial component: acidity. Whether light or heavy, if the wines had enough acidity they came across as lively and vivacious. The rest landed with a thud, flaccid, unctuous and unpleasant.”
Stacy Slinkard, about.com
“Highly aromatic, with bold florals and exotic fruit on the nose, Torrontes is a light to medium-bodied white wine reminiscent of Viognier on several fronts. On the palate, expect plenty of lychee, citrus and some stone fruit to take the brunt of the action.”
Wines of Argentina
“Torrontés is a light yellow wine that occasionally has golden and green hues. Its aroma is reminiscent of roses, jasmine, and geraniums. In the mouth it is pure fruit salad, sometimes with touches of honey or oregano. Its aromas suggest a sweet wine but its taste reveals a refreshing acidity.”
James Laube, Wine Spectator
“The wine is fresh, clean and aromatic at times, reminiscent of Viognier. Other times it is sleeker, with vibrant, juicy acidity and nectarine and mineral notes. It is, by virtue of the aforementioned styles, distinctive. Torrontés is the kind of wine you don't have to think much about, yet it provides an alluring mix of flavors, drinks easy and…It’s also hard to beat as a value.”

Some Torrontés to Try

For a Splurge

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