“We are leading the revolution of the whites worldwide with our quality and our conviction that Argentina is much more than Malbec.”

— Susana Balbo

Ready to explore the world of Torrontés, a leading player in Argentina's white wine landscape? The grape typically makes lively, aromatic wines with pronounced floral and fruity aromas—think jasmine, rose petals, citrus, and tropical fruits—and is meant to be drunk young. Yet, as I recently found out, when grown in the right place, under the right conditions, and treated in the best way possible, this grape variety can produce age-worthy, distinctive wines.

Susana Balbo, founder of Susana Balbo Wines, has the distinction of being Argentina’s first female winemaker. She has been instrumental in elevating the quality of Torrontés, establishing it as the country’s flagship white variety. Known as the "Queen of Torrontés," Balbo has not only changed how people see Argentine white wine but also inspired regional winemakers to aim for world-class whites of their own.

The White Wine Revolution

Argentina is well known for its red wines made from Malbec, yet its climate is ideal for all varieties.

“We are leading the revolution of white Torrentés worldwide,” says Balbo, “with our quality and conviction that Argentina is much more than Malbec.”

In 2013, recognizing Torrontés' potential for long-term aging, Balbo pioneered the barrel fermentation of grapes grown in rocky soils at cooler, high-altitude sites.

Additionally, she discovered that the wines’ flavor could better reflect the terroir if the barrels were toasted by hot air rather than the most common method of charring them over an open fire or flame. She also deliberately began withholding bottles for seven years before releasing them to the market.

Meet and Greet

To introduce this new Torrontés style, Balbo and her son, José Lovaglio Balbo, organized a vertical tasting in NYC in October 2023. At this event, a group of media, including myself, sampled eight vintages of Susana Balbo Signature Barrel-Fermented Torrontés from 2022 to 2015.

**The author with Susana Balbo and her son José Lovaglio Balbo.**

Vertical tastings, where you sample a producer's wine from different years, are both educational and fun. They show the differences between vintages, revealing how factors like the weather can cause variations. They also clarify whether a wine is best enjoyed young or has the potential to age gracefully over time.

The Takeaway

The evolution of Susana Balbo’s barrel fermented Torrontés has altered my view of the grape. When Torrontés is cultivated and tended to as an age-worthy wine, the simplicity transforms into complexity.

As we traveled back in time with Balbo’s barrel fermented Torrontés, the wine's fruity character lessened each year, revealing additional aromatic and flavor nuances, accompanied by a decrease in oak notes. The 2022 showed the most tropical and floral, fruity notes like jasmine and pineapple, whereas the 2021 had already become less fruity with more herbal, tangy, citrusy, and chalky characteristics. The oldest vintages, 2015 and 2016, were subtle with delicate fruit and floral notes. Each vintage had retained its citrusy acidity, a hallmark of excellent quality wines.

Interestingly, I noticed that the aromas and flavors of the vintages remained unaffected by excessive oakiness, even though 100% new oak was used. The presence of oak was only slightly noticeable to me in the 2020 and 2017 vintages.

Balbo attributes the absence of oakiness to a few factors: hot air barrel toasting, lower fermentation temperatures, and limited barrel time. The oak enhances the body, mouthfeel (richness), and finish, supporting long-term aging without overshadowing the wine.

It is worth noting that Balbo doesn't dismiss the fresh and fruity style, as evidenced by her popular line of wines called Crios. She wants wine consumers to recognize that there is a place on the table for each style of Torrontés wine.

"The barrel-aged Torrontés is a more gastronomic wine," remarked Balbo's son, José. "It has opened doors for us in places like the old world, where they appreciate this style of wine—something we couldn't achieve with our traditional Torrontés. It's versatile, pairing well with the various spices found in Asian dishes, as well as poultry and fish dishes of many other cuisines."