If I had to pick one New World wine country capable of melting the cold hearts of British drinkers in 2008, it would be Argentina. Still relatively unknown and beset with continued economic problems, particularly inflation, Argentina would appear to be a hopeless suitor. Take into account its position in the list of wines we care sufficiently about to take home – tenth place, with just one million cases, after every other New World wine producer, and even Germany – and Argentina’s prospects look bleak.

Yet Argentina has stacks of potential: land and labour are cheap, the climate is dry and sunny, water comes from the Andes and there are lots of old, low-yielding, high-altitude vines, including several indigenous varieties. Aromatic, lime blossom-stacked torrontes heads up the whites and robust, richly coloured and tannic malbec the reds. Imported winemaking expertise is there in spades, not only from obvious sources such as Spain and Chile, but also from France, especially Bordeaux. Michel Rolland’s Clos de los Siete is the big name, but several branches of the famous Lurton dynasty are here, too. Good value is another great attribute, especially for the price-obsessed British drinker, with Argentina producing plenty of unbeatable sub-£5 and sub-£6 fruit-filled whites and reds.

Guaranteed to win drinkers, and the most impressive illustration of Argentina’s potential, are the country’s top reds, which shone at the recent Wines of Argentina Super Reserve Tasting Tasting. True, there were lots of alcoholic, over-extracted, heavy, woody, earthy, on-their-knees reds, a style beloved by American and local drinkers (step forward, or rather crawl forward, Weinert’s toothless 1977 “Star” Malbec), but such disasters were outnumbered by the delights. Malbec triumphed overall, but there were some tasty malbec and cabernet sauvignon blends, too, as well as a syrah-led delight and a rare petit verdot offering.

My favourite was Colome’s Black Label, but alas, it is not on sale here yet, so opt for the next best thing, the ridiculously good value 2005 Colome Red Label Malbec, whose velvety, creosote-scented spice is given away at Oddbins at £14.49 and Waitrose at £14.99. In second place was Catena’s top blend, Nicolas Catena Zapata, whose 2004 vintage oozes with ripe, briary, herby spice, and so it should do at £41-plus (Bibendum, 020-7449 4120). Better value at £10.99 is the sweet, fat, plummy 2005 Catena Malbec (Waitrose and Majestic). Third place went to Finca La Anita for its delicious, rare, violet-perfumed 2005 Petit Verdot (Philglas & Swiggot, £18.99, 020-7924 4494). An honourable runner-up was Finca Sophenia’s 2005 Synthesis, a classy red fruits-laden malbec cabernet (Ellis of Richmond, £21.95, 020-8744 5576).

Top buys

2007 Gran Tesoro Garnacha Rosé, Bodegas Borsao, Spain, Tesco, £3.19. It is hard to find £2.99ers post-Budget, but this ripe, dry, peppery, 100 per cent garnacha grape rosé from the up-and-coming, value-for-money Campo de Borja region is only 20p more.

2006 Sicilian Red, Tesco, £3.18. Cantine Settesoli has turned Sicily’s cheap and cheerful bottles into some of Italy’s best value-for-money offerings. And this lively, ripe, inky, perfumed, part nerelo mascalese, sangiovese and nero d’avola red is a great example.

2007 Paul Mas Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France, Majestic Wine, £7.49 or buy two for £5.99 each. At almost £8, this lively, zesty white from a top producer, blessed with lots of attractive verdant, earthy fruit, is too much, but at £6 it’s a steal, so scoop it up.

2005 Château Haut-Lignières, Le 1er, Faugères, France, Majestic Wine, £6.49 or buy two for £5.19 each until May 6. Faugères is one of the top Languedoc village sites, and this impressive fat, beefy, herby grenache, syrah, carignan and cinsault blend deliciously proves the point.

2001 Château Cantelys, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Bibendum, £17.99. This is a gorgeous, mature, bricky, beefy, green pepper-scented claret from the northern part of the Graves and a classic blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The star red at a recent Vintners’ Hall charity dinner.

2003 Rhona Muscadel, Robertson, Graham Beck, South Africa, Bibendum, £7.94 for 50cl. This bottle delivers the sort of light, easy, apricot, aniseed and black moscatel raisin-styled sticky Cape fruit that will make it a useful partner to spring and summer puddings and pies.

jane.macquitty@thetimes.co.uk

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