Review: Wines of Trapiche, 2025 Releases
Argentina’s wine scene continues to evolve and improve, to the point where some real world-class wines are being produced here. With these three wines, Trapiche showcases some of the best winemaking you’ll find in the whole of South America.
2020 Trapiche Iscay Malbec-Cabernet Franc – Iscay means two in Quechua, the language of an indigenous people of Peru and Chile, and this 50-50 blend of those two grapes showcases both at their best. Here we find a deft combination of aromatics that pump out up-front notes of raspberry and plum, then dial them back with fragrant violets and lavender. The finish is lightly raisiny but never Port-like, with hints of chocolate late in the game, followed by anise and a less distinct baking spice. Tannins remain strong in this wine, and another few years of aging won’t hurt a bit. But if you’re drinking it now, it merits pairing with a bold main course. A- / $93
2017 Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series Finca Laborde La Consulta – I can’t recall tasting a richer and more decadent example of cabernet sauvignon in recent years from a wine that isn’t overtly sweet and jammy. Rather, this pure expression of cab layers on notes of toasted nuts, graphite, dark chocolate, and cocoa nibs, creating an almost savory experience that smolders with intensity and depth. Stewed fruits ranging from cherry to raspberry to currants emerge with time in glass (and in the mouth), though again none of this comes across as particularly juicy or candied. These fruity elements are rather dried, encased in that dark chocolate, and gently touched with dried florals. Some orange peel on the finish provides a slight touch of acidity, which helps to keep the 15% abv experience grounded. A / $45
2021 Trapiche Chardonnay Finca Las Piedras – Single-estate chardonnay from Las Piedras in the Uco Valley, aged in barrel for 12 months. While the nose of the wine is delightfully rich and creamy, studded with notes of vanilla and nougat, the palate showcases a surprising level of acidity and brightness built into its rich and muscular core. Lively citrus — Meyer lemon and some orange — abut a mineral-heavy body that showcases both slate and chalk. Notes of lime leaf give the finish a slightly herbal bent, alongside a gentle reprise of toasted oak. Altogether it’s an exemplary chardonnay that’s outside the narrow lane in which this varietal often travels. Trapiche says this wine has an aging potential of 10 years — and that’s probably not an exaggeration. A / $50
2017 Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series Finca Laborde La Consulta
$45
