Argento’s Twelve Wines of Christmas

This December, we are counting down our Twelve Wines of Christmas with a new wine every weekday from December 6th to 21st. Feel free to sing along!

Argento Bonarda

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… A Partridge in a Pear Tree

A Festive All-Rounder
An exciting ‘new’ kid on the block, Bonarda originally landed with Argentina’s influx of Italians but has recently undergone a renaissance, delivering attractive, juicy, eminently drinkable wines. Great as a tonsil-warming, moreish party-quaffer, Bonarda delivers bags of charming raspberry-scented fruit character and a lick of refreshing, food-friendly acidity. This could take partridge in its stride, but comes into its own with honest family nosh including pizza, pasta, sausages, grills and all manner of nibbles and canapés.

Argento Bonarda
With its distinctive fresh raspberry-ish notes, this attractive, easy-going red merrily bounces down the throat, but has enough oomph to pair with flavoursome festive dishes. A great standby to have to hand for the festive season.

Argento Pinot Grigio

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Two Turtle Doves

Toasting Togetherness
Cooing couples this season will doubtless be looking for some time out together and what better way to keep the spirits – and passions – running high than with the crisp, citrus-fresh zing of a well-heeled Pinot Grigio? As an Italian variety with an Argentine twist, the almost tropical nuances in this crowd-pleasing style also make it a great choice as an aperitif or a popular party tipple. A taste of Andean sunlight in a glass.

Argento Pinot Grigio
Zestily fresh, with apple, pear and tropical notes on both nose and palate, this delightfully well-rounded Pinot Grigio packs far more flavour than most of its European cousins, delivering a satisfyingly uplifting mouthful. A great anytime white.

Argento BSM (Bonarda-Syrah-Malbec)

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Three French Horns

A Heady Trio of a Wine
Heralding a remarkable and utterly delicious new wine style, BSM is a rich blend of Argentina’s red berry infused Bonarda, softly spicy Syrah and aromatically aristocratic Malbec. Warming, rounded, mouth-filling and smooth, this is a superb wine for pairing with the barrage of hearty winter food this festive season. Think Christmas flavour packed into a wine.

Argento BSM (Bonarda-Syrah-Malbec)
The bright, violet aromas, ripe berry fruit, and hints of chocolate and spice on the long, juicy palate positively call out for turkey and all the trimmings, but this is also a superb all rounder to warm the soul at any time.

Argento Cabernet Sauvignon

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Four Calling Birds

A Smart Social Tipple
Birds, blokes, carol singers, family, friends, even reindeer and a chubby fellow in the night – Christmas is a busy social time. It’s also the season of feasting and feeding others well. Step up to the mark, Argentina’s Cabernet Sauvignon. In the heady heights of Mendoza’s vineyards this noble Bordeaux variety excels, combining the elegance and class of its Old World ancestry with a purity of fruit expression that pairs perfectly with red meats, whether grilled alfresco or roasted in a good old-fashioned oven.

Argento Cabernet Sauvignon
Well-rounded, with attractive aromas of cherry and cassis, the intense, concentrated palate reveals deeper, plummy richness, with some pleasing, juicy length. A pure expression of Cabernet and one equally at home with red meats or to drink on its own.

Argento Chardonnay

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Five Gold Rings

The Golden Grape
Much Christmas food is at its best when simplicity and quality meet, and it should be the same for your choice of wine. Chardonnay remains the greatest white variety on earth and this gently golden-tinged example from some of Mendoza’s higher vineyards reveals why. The combination of altitude, ample sun and long, untroubled ripening shine in the style of wine. There’s a vibrancy to the delicate balance between attractive fruit nuances, refreshing hints of minerality and a whisper of exotic spice, which allows this flexible friend to run the gamut from popular party pleaser to useful foodie wine.

Argento Chardonnay
Crisp and dry, with refreshing hints of pear, peach and a hint of vanilla, this also has a subtle honeyed spiciness making it a great Christmas all rounder. A good choice for fish starters, shellfish and even gently-spiced kedgeree.

Argento Selección Chardonnay

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Six Geese a Laying

Good for the Gander
Whether it’s goose, turkey with all the trimmings, or even a plump roast chicken that’s gracing your table this Christmas, the smartest households will be offering white as well as red wines to pair with the festive bird. And this fresh yet intense Chardonnay makes for a perfect match to big birds and white meats, plus fish dishes, combining ripe, warming fruit notes with a refreshing, taut, enticingly minerally core. A reminder of why Chardonnay makes the greatest whites in the world.

Argento Selección Chardonnay
With hints of tropical fruits, a gentle creamy texture, and a refreshingly crisp, minerally backbone, this poised and elegant Chardonnay combines all the classic elements of a great food pairing wine. A great choice with turkey, goose, roast pork and, of course, all manner of seafood, including rich lobster.

Argento Sauvignon Blanc

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Seven Swans a Swimming

Seafood is Served
Unless you’re dining with Her Majesty this Christmas, swan in unlikely to be on the menu, but if your food once swam beneath the water then Sauvignon Blanc is a great seasonal partner to a host of dishes. The fresh, zingy aromas and upliftingly zesty palate makes this ideal with all manner of fishy things, and especially smoked salmon, or perhaps a festive kedgeree. Sauvignon Blanc is the vinous equivalent of a gin & tonic, but with the added benefit that it’s a great choice to carry through from drinks party to the dining table.

Argento Sauvignon Blanc
Citrus fresh and bursting with grassy, uplifting aromas, this tantalisingly refreshing Sauvignon Blanc reveals a palate-piercing purity of character that proves eminently moreish from the first sip. A classic choice with smoked salmon, but a willing partner to most fish.

Argento Malbec

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Eight Maids a Milking

A Beefy Beauty
It’s not so much milk that springs to mind with Argentina’s classic bovine-friendly variety, but rather its natural affinity for the beef and cheese that deliver any trencherman such satisfaction at the table. The purple-hued, almost floral aromas of Malbec give way to an intense, satisfyingly rich palate, with hints of chocolate, vanilla and spice adding to its wholly festive appeal. Argentina’s signature variety could have been created with Christmas in mind.

Argento Malbec
With floral and blackberry aromas leading into a rich, intense palate infused with notes of currant and plum fruits, this has the concentration and depth to pair with bold beef dishes, warming stews and hard, cheddar-like cheeses. At once surprisingly easy to drink while packing bags of vibrant character.

Argento Malbec Rosé

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Nine Ladies Dancing

Party in a Glass
What could be more festive than all the vibrant aromatic qualities and intense fruitiness of Argentina’s classic Malbec transformed into a delightfully fresh and uplifting rosé wine? This is a style that positively dances over the palate, embracing the best qualities of both red and white wine, but in a way that’ll keep you light on your feet and refreshed to the end of the bottle. A cheery pick me up, but also a stylish way to add colour and vibrancy to any gathering.

Argento Malbec Rosé
Lovely, uplifted berry and cherry aromas greet you on the nose of this wine, while the crisp, dry, but tantalisingly fruity palate reveals an unexpected concentration of flavour and fruit, all rounded off by the lingering, crisp and moreish finish.

Argento Selección Malbec

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Ten Lords a Leaping

An Argentine Aristocrat
Gauchos and Argentine winemakers alike are always happy to dip into a bottle of Malbec, whether it’s 40 degrees outside or a frosty Mendoza night. But then these Lords of the Andes have long understood that Malbec’s pleasure lies in the purity of expression, combining floral aromas and intense fruit, at once refreshing yet satisfyingly concentrated, making it as much at home with an asado as on a cold and wintry evening alongside a warming roast. And few wines say Christmas quite like Argentina’s noble variety.

Argento Selección Malbec
Brimming with classic aromas of violets and a hint of cherry, this is a deeply coloured wine, with plummy, berryish fruits underscored by almost chocolately rich intensity, with a lick of spice and fine but firm tannins that call out for roasted meats and especially beef.

Argento Selección Cabernet Sauvignon

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Eleven Pipers Piping

A Cabernet Cabaret
Mendoza’s Cabernet rivals Malbec for the crown of flagship of the Andes, and this beautifully ripe, lushly expressive example reveals why. While top Bordeaux takes time to unfold, the best Argentine Cabernets announce their arrival in your glass with a purity of fruit expression, combining elegance and power in a beguiling display of varietal character. Better yet, this combination of fruit and intensity makes Argentine Cabernet a fantastically versatile partner to the myriad of flavours at the big meal on Christmas day.

Argento Selección Cabernet Sauvignon
An impressive, ripe, juicy wine, packed with cassis, blackcurrant and almost herbal nuances, with plenty of well-balanced concentration that carries through onto a long and lingering finish. A fine Christmas dinner wine and one that will also take lamb and venison in its ample stride.

Argento Reserva Malbec

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… Twelve Drummers Drumming

Toast of the Season
No less than a drum-roll will do for Argentina’s best Malbec, the ancient Bordeaux variety that Mendoza has perfected as a world-class style of wine. At once aromatic, supple and concentrated, at its best this variety delivers a refined but always flavour-packed mouthful of wine, combining freshness with a complexity that pairs superbly well with the hearty flavours of meaty seasonal Christmas fare, including, of course, beef in almost any guise.

Argento Reserva Malbec
A positive rush of violet and cherryish aromas leads into a fresh yet densely woven palate, expressing berry and plum fruits, along with an almost Christmas spice-edged structure born of ageing in fine French oak. A delicious and soul-warming choice for any Christmas table.

Wishing everyone a joyful and delicious Navidad, and a very happy New Year, from all of us at Argento.

The following two tabs change content below.


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *