2020 Tasca Chardonnay

You may have heard of Malbec from Mendoza … but Chardonnay? Yep! Argentina’s wine capital also makes spectacularly fresh whites, Chardonnay included. For your taste, we headed to the acclaimed estate of Familia Falasco, who’ve been pioneers here in the shadow of the Andes since 1939. And boy, do they know their stuff. (Good thing, too. Technically, this part of Argentina is a desert, averaging only a few inches of rainfall a year. Grapes can only grow with the help of irrigation fed by pure mountain snowmelt, which doses the vines with loads of mineral nutrients. Dazzling, high-elevation sunshine and chilly breezes whistle through the vineyards, helping Chardonnay develop phenomenal concentration and aromatic intensity.) Working this extreme land is a challenge, but the payoff is deliciously high, as you’ll taste. “This is like Chablis with a tan,” proclaimed Tasting Panelist (and ex-French Laundry somm) Chris Hoel. Bright, nervy, and refreshingly unoaked, it zips onto your palate with a parade of citrus, pineapple, and mango characters – the finish is long and oh-so-smooth. Tasca is tasty all on its own, but it’s also tailor-made for anything seafood (try crab cakes or oysters). It’ll also shine with simple pastas (dressed in oil and garlic), spinach salads topped with grilled chicken, or a vegetable terrine.