Malbec and Argentina, Argentina and Malbec – they just fit like a glove. The versatility of this grape in transmitting terroir and regionality has given it the huge profile it currently enjoys. Yet its reputation can overshadow the wonderful work being done with other varietals by a passionate new generation of winemakers in Argentina. Now it’s time to introduce these under-the-radar stars to a wider audience.

Whilst there may be a discussion to be had as to whether Argentina is TOO reliant on Malbec, a recent glib and throwaway comment from a fellow (well-respected) wine trade professional, who suggested that Argentina was over-reliant on Malbec because ‘that’s all there is’ is downright folly. I must admit that a decade or so ago, I was concerned about the lack of diversity shown in Argentina – it seemed that Chile was a little more advanced in this regard. However, things have changed incredibly quickly and there is a growing bunch of fantastic young, innovative and exciting winemakers pushing Argentina’s boundaries. I am very pleased to see that one of the leading lights in this regard, Mariana Onofri, has now joined forces with Condor Wines to bring her Onofri Wines range to the UK. It’s refreshing to see a new range from Argentina that gives some well-deserved love to red varietals other than Malbec!

Onofri make wines from two distinct areas in Mendoza – Lavalle in Northern Mendoza and Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley. It’s exciting to see the emergence of lesser-known varietals such as Mourvèdre, Teroldego, Pedro Gimenez and Carignan. Mariana explained, ‘We decided we wanted to introduce to our vineyard grapes that could bring an innovative approach tied to our wine preferences, but also that we could envisage would adapt well. Mediterranean grapes such as Carignan, Mourvèdre and Grenache have displayed fantastic expression and allow us to work in a winemaking style without much oak intervention.’

I asked Mariana who had planted these grapes, as they are not varieties I have seen in Mendoza before. ‘In our vineyard from Lavalle, North of Mendoza, we have an old vineyard planted in 1940 that had a criolla grape called Cereza – a grape that was not giving us much response from an enological point of view. We decided to use this established root system to regraft new varietals. Amazingly, half a year later we started observing some results. The adaptation of Carignan, Mourvèdre and Teroldego in this old vineyard has been amazing. We have also regrafted Grenache, Marsanne and Roussanne in a Parral with very good results as well. In the case of the wines coming from Los Chacayes, vineyards were planted using American rootstock in 2008.’

Onofri practises organic viticulture but is not certified. ‘Our scale is small and for us being organic is not a simple marketing tool but a philosophy in our lives. We carry out organic practices, have sheep for our own compost and we work with the community for our manual labour.’ I was personally very pleased to hear that they use eco-light bottles (something I would like to see more of!) and recyclable stoppers made from sugar cane. In the winery they use only native yeasts and eschew the use of new oak to allow the varietal character of the wines to best express themselves.

Onofri adds a real point of difference to the Condor portfolio and both the Garnacha and Carignan were real standouts for me. Looking towards the future, they will soon be releasing a ‘clarete’ style rosé as well as an orange wine as part of the range. Hopefully, Lee will be getting his hands on some of that…