In a recent Style Observer column titled ‘Wine Therapy’, the writer Pondi Road shared with us an interesting wine experience from Argentina.

We recently had the opportunity to taste a little of Argentina when the Ritz-Carlton hosted its second Wine and Dine event featuring the wines from the Argentine producer Trapiche, all imported by Caribbean Producers Jamaica(CPJ). The event was a huge success.

When asked about the uptick in wine-related events, CPJ Co-Chairman Tom Tyler explained that since successfully negotiating the reduction of taxes on imported wines in 2005, his organisation has been instrumental in introducing Jamaica to great wines.

He reminded me that Yellowtail is Jamaica’s favourite wine and he thanks the Jamaica Observer Food awards for the recognition and the inclusion of the award in this year’s event. Tyler noted that CPJ will continue to support events like this Ritz-Carlton Wine and Dine that seek to broaden the wine appreciation in Jamaica.

We tasted six great wines from Trapiche which is the largest of seven Argentine wineries controlled by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, a New York investment bank now owned by Credit Suisse. The wineries operate under an umbrella holding company, Grupo Peñaflor, which is the largest wine producer in the country. All Trapiche wines are hand-harvested, hand-sorted and vinified at their winery.

Guests were greeted on arrival with the Trapiche Sparkling; made with 70% Chardonnay, 20% Semillon, 10% Malbec. The wine shows typical Chardonnay aromas of apples and pineapples, with a toasted bread note. In the mouth, the Semillon and Malbec create a full, crisp character.

On hand was fourth generation winemaker from Trapiche, Sergio Casé, to present his wines. Although not fluent in English he managed to give us a brief history of the winery and described the vineyards and processes used to the make the wines we were about to taste.

White Witch executive chef Thierry Connault and his team prepared a fantastic menu that went exceptionally well with the wines from Trapiche. For the first course the Frenchman decided that a Beef Carpaccio, fried caper and truffle oil Parmesan Crouton would go well with the 2007 Trapiche Broquel Chardonnay – he was right. This wine is an elegant wine with intense scents of red apples, honey, and cinnamon. Well-rounded flavours offer good body and a mild, harmonious finish.

The next wine was from the Oak Cask line which is so called because the wines get more obvious oak-aging (although the winemakers have dialled the oak back in recent years, exposing more of that lovely Argentina fruit). While the 2008 Trapiche Oak Cask Pinot Noir was not your typical strawberry and cherry Pinot, it was still a very good light-bodied red wine that went well with the Pan-Seared Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce; Chorizo and Heart of Palm Salad.

There were a few who would have preferred to try the Broquel Chardonnay with this dish. Although the Oak Cask Pinot Noir was good and we absorbed every bit of it, I would not rush out to buy a case, something I would definitely do for the next two wines we had.

The flagship wine of Trapiche is called Iscay. Iscay means ‘two’ in Quechuan, the language of the Incas who inhabited the Andes when Europeans settled in Argentina. This wine is a 50/50 blend of the very best Merlot and Malbec that are in the vineyards and is aged for 18 months in new French Oak.

We had the 2004 Iscay which the winemaker describes as elegant, with concentrated flavours of spice, currants and chocolate and with a persistent finish. I describe it as a big, juicy red wine, with concentrated plum – this wine needs food. Chef Thierry Connault’s third course was a delicious honey-glazed boneless short rib with honey-roasted carrot puree infused with natural braised jus. This dish went exceptionally well with the Iscay as it helped to soften the tannins that you initially experience and balanced it out nicely. A crowd pleaser.

My favourite – 2005 Trapiche Medalla

If you like big, intense cabernets, you will love the 2005 Trapiche Medalla. It was created in 1983 to celebrate the Centenary of Trapiche. It was one of their first high-quality wines. It is made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from 45-year-old vines and selected grapes in Mendoza. The wine is then aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.

In general, 2005 was a year with greater rainfall, and Trapiche took a risk by choosing to harvest late, despite the possibility of developing mould-induced diseases like odium and botrytis. The results made 2005 a memorable vintage – as good as the previous three great harvests of 2002, 2003 and 2004, if not better, considering that the fruit is fresher. The 2005 Trapiche Medalla has deep red hues and aromas of smoked peppers, tobacco and spice notes from its time in barrel. On the palate, the wine has an extraordinary flavour of blackberry, good structure with a pepper finish. Chef Thierry outdid himself with the char-grilled cowboy steak served with potato wedges persillade, grilled tomato Malbec sauce.

Dessert

The chocolate caramel meringue was ‘more-ish’ for those who had any space after that excellent spread. It was served with the 2006 Trapiche Chardonnay Tardio. The Chadonnay grapes were left on the vines to over-ripen for three months. The wine has fruit and flower aromas and on the palate a sweet start which tapers off to a balanced wine filled with freshness.

Six great wines from Argentina, five excellent courses from the White Witch team, no foodie and wine lover should miss this monthly event. Thanks to Andre Hay who safely shortened our 3-hour drive to a 25- minute hop in the Beechcraft.

Cheers! Now go forth and try some of the wines of Trapiche today.

Chris Reckord is an independent wine consultant who operates DeVine Wine Services with his wife Kerri-Anne. Its mission is to improve wine appreciation through wine education and events. Both are members of the Society of Wine Educators and the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter.com/DeVineWines