For $10, an uncommon dry white wine from Argentina’s Salta region
From the same makers of a very popular Malbec.
![Torrontes from Argentinean winery Alamos.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/Iq6QuUbJNCFi88_VC3QhbdwJTPA=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NOGHIAW5WFFVRBGL3OCG7YOY4I.jpg)
The name torrontés is shared by a bewildering number of distinct white grapes grown in Spain and Portugal, most notably in a rare and coveted form of Madeira. However, most Americans who encounter it are tasting a variety that is entirely unrelated to European torrontés: a varietal first spawned in South America and most often encountered from Argentina. Argentine torrontés makes delightfully fragrant white wines, as with this example, which shares much with sauvignon blanc in that they are both typically dry, midweight, and unoaked. But where sauvignon blanc tends to smell of citrus fruits and green herbs, torrontés wines feature aromatics that are overtly floral, thanks to being a direct descendant of the muscat grape (also known as Moscato). Torrontés is less pungent and, unlike muscat, it is rarely used to make sweet wines. But there’s no mistaking the family resemblance, evident in scents of jasmine or gardenias against a backdrop of green apple and peach flavors. While the majority of torrontés wines are sourced from Argentina’s huge Mendoza region, we are seeing a growing number of wines like this one emerging from elsewhere, particularly from high-elevation regions like Salta. Salta lies to the north of Mendoza, bounded on the west by the peaks of the Andes, and features an extreme climate that coaxes delightfully rich flavors from this uncommon grape.
Alamos Torrontés Salta, Argentina
$9.99 through Sept. 29 (regularly $11.99); PLCB Item #9713
Also available at: Joe Canal’s in Marlton, N.J. ($9.09), Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington, Del. ($9.49), Berkley Fine Wine & Spirits in Clarksboro, N.J. ($9.99), Canal’s in Mt. Ephraim, N.J. ($9.99), Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton, N.J. ($10.09)