WASHINGTON — One of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Argentina started as an accident.
Pascual Toso left his hometown of Canale D’Alba, in Piemonte, Italy, the mid-1880s to immigrate to Argentina. At the time, he had no plans to start a winery, even though he had been closely involved with his family wine business back home. But once he settled in the Mendoza region, he quickly recognized that the land held promise as an ideal location for a vineyard.
So in 1890, Pascual established his first winery: Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso. At the beginning of the 20th century, he decided to expand his business and acquired vineyards in Maipú.
At his estate “Las Barrancas,” he built another winery, which, to this day, is dedicated to producing and growing the finest grapes. The vineyards are located in the district of Maipu within the Mendoza River highland, a region known for heterogeneous terroir and ideal climate of warm days, cool nights and relatively low humidity.
It’s one thing to have the vineyard land; it’s another to have someone in the winery who can transform quality grapes into quality wine. This task falls to the newest chief winemaker at Toso, Felipe Stahlschmidt.
Felipe comes to Pascual Toso from another well-known winery, Catena, where he was responsible for several wines in its portfolio, including the iconic Catena Zapata. Now that he is in charge at Toso, Felipe has big plans to improve upon what are already some of Argentina’s best wines — and he has help. Renowned wine consultant Paul Hobbs is on hand to help Felipe manage the higher-end wines.
Check out these beautifully crafted wines from one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Argentina:
If you’re thinking about getting hitched in the near future, the Pascual Toso Non-Vintage Brut Sparkling Wine is your new best friend. This delicious value-oriented bubbly is perfect for receptions and special occasions. Made from 100 percent chardonnay, it displays a bouquet of green apples, nectarines and freshly baked bread. Flavors of fresh stone fruit and a touch of ripe pear really shine on the sparkling palate. It is an enjoyable, easy-drinking bubbly. $13
Of course, Argentina is known for Malbec, and the 2014 Pascual Toso Estate Malbec represents the country well. This estate-grown Malbec reveals a substantial nose filled with aromas of black plum, blackberry and a touch of vanilla from the toasty oak. In the mouth, the wine is generous, offering up flavors of black cherry, blackberry and black licorice. The finish is rich and full with persistent notes of toasty oak and dark chocolate. Excellent with roasted red meats. $14
Not many people think of Argentina when they think about picking up a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, but you’ll want to pick up a bottle of the 2014 Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipú region of Argentina. The grapes for this bottling come from the original vineyard of Pascual Toso, located in Las Barrancas. The wine shines with aromas of dark berry and black plums in the glass. It is very well-balanced and flavors of blackberry, black raspberry and cassis glide over the tongue. Dusty tannins and a touch of cocoa combine to provide an elegant and focused flourish on the finish. $25
One of my favorite varietals from Argentina is Syrah. In particular, I think that the grape really shines in the Mendoza region, as evidenced by the charming, yet powerful, 2014 Pascual Toso Alta Syrah. This wine is full of spicy aromas, including scents of dark chocolate, black pepper and mocha. Flavors of blackberry, mocha, blueberry liqueur and baking spices attack the palate in waves, while notes of black pepper and toasty oak bring up the rear on the elegant and complex finish. This wine would be a great accompaniment with game, smoked brisket or ribs. $50
