Wine

Taste Argentina's best for less with Bianchi

The wonderful thing about so many South American wines is that the low- and medium-priced bottles drink like more expensive products from California and Europe.

That's especially true of the wide range of wines available from Valentin Bianchi, a nearly 7-decade-old winery located in the San Rafael, Mendoza, region of Argentina.

In an Austin tasting led by Valentin Eduardo Bianchi, chairman of the board and grandson of the winery founder, the products included Elsa Chardonnay Semillon, Famiglia Bianchi Chardonnay, Elsa Malbec, Elsa Syrah, Famiglia Bianchi Malbec, Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon, Bianchi Malbec Particular and Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon Particular.

For those who shy away from California-style, heavy-oak chardonnays, the Elsa Chardonnay Semillon 2004 ($8.99) represents a softer approach to that varietal. With more than one-third semillon in the mix and aged for only six months on oak, the wine emphasizes peach and tropical fruits on the nose and palate.

The Elsa Syrah 2003 ($9.99) is a fine drinking wine, with a balance of cherry, spice and oak that show what a bottle that is 100 percent syrah can be. Representing the best of Argentina, the Famiglia Bianchi Malbec 2003 ($17.99) is a tremendous expression of the grape for which the country has become famous. This rich malbec, which spent a year on oak, leads with intense fruit and ends with a lingering finish.

The Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($17.99), a blend that is 85 percent cab and 5 percent each merlot, malbec and petite verdot, is a complex wine that wafts berries, spice and chocolate at the nose and palate. A pleasing wine, it, too, comes with a long finish.

As wonderful as the "Particular" reds were, these expensive, limited wines — sadly — are not yet available in the Austin market.

But the low- and medium-priced Bianchi wines are here, reason to tip a glass toward the southern hemisphere.

Where to buy it: Various Valentin Bianchi products are available at Whole Foods (both locations), Central Market Westgate and Lake Travis Wine Trader.

Where to drink it: Moonshine, Malaga and Tuscany Market.