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BY KYLE SWARTZ

In winemaking , as any craft , the learning never stops . Especially at a 95-year-old producer like Bodegas Bianchi , founded in 1928 in Mendoza , Argentina , where current Wine Director Silvio Alberto continues to experiment and finetune his methods .

For instance : Alberto has joined the growing list of winemakers aging in amphora ( clay ) eggs . What ’ s old is new again , resurrecting an ancient tradition for modern times . For Mendoza ’ s famous reds , amphora is “ incredible , it creates sweeter tannins and brings out the fruit more ,” Alberto says . “ It has maintained the fruit very well .”

But he is not content . Ever-curious , Alberto has begun filling amphora with chardonnay — an experiment simply to see the outcome . “ Every day , you are learning ,” he explains .

Alberto was in Manhattan last month to host a tasting of recent Bianchi releases . The media event took place at Bocca di Bacco ’ s Theater District location , where fine language and ever finer plateware lined the walls .

Everything is under consideration for Roberto . With white wines in Argentina , “ Should torrontés be our flagship ?” he asks . “ No . I think it should be chardonnay . Torrontés tends to always taste like torrontés . Whereas with chardonnay , like with malbec , you can taste the different areas of Argentina depending on where it is grown . Chardonnay has better longevity , as well . It ’ s better for aging .”

And so we started with Famiglia Bianchi Chardonnay 2021 ( suggested retail price : $ 18.99 per 750-ml . bottle ). What an eye opener ! Hardly the oak-vanilla , buttery bomb of Californian chards , this had light tropical fruits and lovely citrus , tied together by good acidity and minerality . Refreshing and balanced , it was a true food wine that went wonderfully with Bocca di Bacco ’ s various insalata and crab cakes .

Advancing through the Famiglia line , we next opened the Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($ 20.99 ) and Gran Famiglia Bianci Malbec 2019 ($ 29.99 ). Here , we encountered more signs of Alberto ’ s focus on fruit . Both brought sweet red fruits to the forefront , with the oak reduced to a balancing act in the background .

“ For the past seven years , I have gradually reduced the amount of oak in these wines ,” Alberto says . ( It ’ s down to 15 % in the cab sauv , 50 % in the malbec .) “ You have to listen to your customers . And now the people prefer more fruit and acidity , and wine that ’ s more easy-drinking .”

The fruit-forwardness of both bottles , backed up by the chocolate and vanilla notes still present from the French oak , paired

naturally with the polpette al pomodoro appetizer .

Next , we entered the Particular line : Particular Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($ 39.99 ) and Particular Bianchi Malbec 2019 ($ 39.99 ). Alberto describes the difference between Famiglia and Particular as the former being “ wider wines on the palate ” than the latter as “ leaner wines that go deeper in the mouth ,” due to the elevated vineyards and different soils for the Particular series .

True to his statement , both Particular offerings had more concentrated fruit than their Famiglia counterparts . The cab sauv displayed lots of character and dark fruits , without being jammy . On the Malbec I especially enjoyed the sweet tannins — a theme throughout the tasting — along with the mouth-coating , ripe red fruit and dark chocolate .

Elegant with their big-yet-controlled fruitiness , both wines were a match for my fettuccine Bolognese ( with superb homemade pasta ).

We concluded with the Enzo Gran Corte 2018 ($ 69.99 ). Once again , evidence of Alberto ’ s love of learning and experimentation . When he became Bianchi ’ s wine director in 2018 — the first ever from outside the founding , namesake family — he decided to deviate from the grape makeup that had defined this wine for many , many years . Rather than the traditional recipe of 50 % malbec , 50 % cabernet sauvignon , he “ preferred using a blend of the best varietals of any given vintage .”

Now , the Enzo Gran Corte is typically comprised of 43 % malbec , 37 % cabernet sauvignon , 15 % merlot and 5 % cabernet franc , depending on the year .

www . beveragedynamics . com March 2023 • Beverage Dynamics 3