Bodega del Fin del Mundo Extra Brut 2008, Neuquén – 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, methode tradicionale – lovely salmon pink color, fine bubbles though not a large quantity; yeast, raspberry, burnt sweet cream on the nose; medium body, good acidity, good fruit, a touch metallic on the long finish; overall quite good.

Cruzat Larraín Nature, Mendoza – 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, methode tradicionale – light gold color, fine bubbles; fresh bread dough, guava on the nose; medium body, good acidity, very yeasty on the palate with a long finish. Excellent and a true value sparkler at 75 pesos.

Alta Vista Premium Chardonnay 2008, Mendoza – medium straw yellow; vanilla, artificial strawberry, cantaloupe, paraffin on the nose; medium body, good acidity, lots of toasted oak, hint of soft tannins, high alcohol – finish is almost totally alcohol and oak, a let down after the pleasant aromas and palate.

Bodega del Fin del Mundo Viognier Reserva 2007, Neuquén – light gold color, cream, canned peaches – classic aromas of Viognier, plus a touch of paraffin; medium bodied, moderate acidity, perhaps a touch flatter than I’d like, good amount of fruit, touch of lightly toasted coconut, probably from well-integrated oak, medium long finish – quite good, even at 60-65 pesos retail.

Lurton “Vuelà” Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Mendoza – aged sur lie; light straw color; asparagus, bell pepper, raspberry on the nose; good acidity, light body, noticeable yeastiness on the palate; good length, finishes with citrus, mostly orange peel – really quite good for Argentine Sauvignon, particularly at a price of 30 pesos retail.

La Parde de Haut-Bailly 2004, Pessac-Léognan; 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12 months in new barriques – beautiful dark red onion color, black currant, black plum, graphite, tarragon; light to medium bodied, great acidity, soft dry tannins, toasted wood, slightly astringent finish, overall really delightful and classic flavors, and for a Bordeaux which is the second label of a Grand Cru Clasé and only runs about $25, a bargain.

Flechas de los Andes Malbec 2007, Mendoza – inky, impenetrable purple; blue plum, wet stone, faint floral notes, cinnamon on the nose; drying tannins immediately upfront, okay acidity, noticeable wood that seems slightly raw, medium to full body, dark fruit, slightly hot; too young to drink right now and I’m not convinced it has the structure to last and smooth out.

Bodega del Fin del Mundo Pinot Noir Reserva 2008, Neuquén – dark cherry red, touch of purple; somewhat closed on the nose initially, but opens up slightly with aromas of black raspberry and mushrooms on toast; on the palate good acidity, medium bodied, dry tannins, a bit overly concentrated and clumsy, it clearly needs time to age – then again, I noted that even as a red reserve, it’s a year younger than the bodega’s white reserve – surprising, actually at less than 2 years old it’s even been released – needs time and a revisit. Retails at around 60-65 pesos, which isn’t bad for a reserve of this quality.

Puro Uno Malbec Limitado 2008, Mendoza – vibrant red purple; black plum, white chocolate, candied violets on the nose; medium bodied, good acidity, sharp dry tannins, lots of black pepper and a touch of astringency on the long finish. Too young to be drinking now, even with time to open up, but lots of potential. A bit pricey at around 100-110 pesos retail, particularly given the quantity of good lower priced Malbec out there, still, it’ll be worth re-tasting to see how it develops.

Puro Uno Quadro Limitado 2008, Mendoza – 40% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 15% Tempranillo – inky purple color; fascinating aromas of various berry fruits – raspberry, blackberry, currants, a touch of blue plums and hints of curry spice; on the palate, soft tannins, medium to full body, great acidity, well-integrated oak, a touch hot, particularly on the long finish, but then again, this is a very young wine, like it’s sibling above. At 140 or so pesos retail, it falls into the higher end of Argentine wines, but it’s a unique blend and an extraordinarily well-crafted wine that I think will develop nicely over the couple of years.

Trivento Syrah Roble 2006, Mendoza – red-purple, the color of a red onion, or morada as it’s called here; noticeable alcohol on the nose and palate; blackberry, black pepper, and a fair amount of coconut-vanilla oak; surprisingly light-medium bodied, soft tannins, good acidity. At around 40-45 pesos retail, it’s a good buy for Mendoza Syrah.