WTN: Bodega Colomé Torrontés 2007

This wine is grown from the some of the highest vineyards in the world (over 7500 ft) in Salta, theeeee place where the hip kids are growing Torrontés in Argentina. That fact alone got my attention. Of course Don Hess both knows his mountains and has the money to achieve the incredible (and in the case of Colomé, buy the town where incredible is possible.) At first glance this is an incredibly elegant wine. It paints itself as very beautiful, dainty and ticklish, but there is more underneath; both charming and alarming. It is highly perfumed with acacia flower, pollen, and apple blossom. The fruit is exotic, apple and citrus without the acidity; light and fresh and youthful. As the bottle progresses throughout the evening though, the heft (and alcohol) starts to take charge and the temperament grows more serious and to be honest, I could do without the heat. It is a delicious wine, but it is also completely without structure, this wine will not last long. Even my preconceived notions of experimental cellaring (based on the hearsay about its pedigree among the ranks of Torrontés) disappeared immediately upon my first sip. C’mon, this baby ain’t Riesling!. But for the short term it is so pretty and perfect for spring. 14,1% alc $13

Who is Don Hess and why is he hip?

Who is Don Hess and why is he hip?

Donald Hess of the Hess Collection = very rich, but don't know if he's hip

They've been growing Torrontés in the region of Salta for 150+ years and do it very well - not sure if it's the hippest place on earth though. Etchart were the first to make a modern style one when Susano Balbo was the winemaker there - now owning her own winery, Dominio del Plata in Mendoza, she still sources Torrontés from Salta for her label Crios de Susana Balbo - and I think it's good and great value for money (certainly in the UK). But I digress ... when Hess bought Colomé he took over some very old vineyards and they are, I think, the highest in Salta - at about 2700m (what's that in feet?) so certainly some of the highest in the world. He's planted some new vineyards there too and has a luxury hotel/guest house, I believe. The reds he makes aren't bad - Malbec blends. I couldn't get the popup on their website to do much - http://www.bodegacolome.com.

Thanks for the post. Though it doesn't sound like a wine that I'd like (too much alcohol, perhaps), it's certainly something I'd like to try. Because of where I live most of the year, I'm very interested in finding a Torrontés that I like, but stopped seeking them out after buying two or three a year ago and finding them all pretty much uninteresting. This post has reawakened my interest, and I just sent Colomé an email asking if they have distribution in Brazil. Perhaps if I focus on Salta torrontés, I'll have better luck...

Sure sounds like a different Torrontes to me! Would be interesting to taste side by side with Balbo.

Yesterday I picked up a bottle each of Balbo and Colomé Torrontés, and hope to report on them soon.

Yesterday I picked up a bottle each of Balbo and Colomé Torrontés, and hope to report on them soon.

I look forward to your impressions Oswaldo. I haven't tasted the Balbo in a few years, but I remember liking it. Maybe a feminine touch is exactly what Torrontes needs!

In my view, the Torrontes is the least impressive effort from Hess and his team at Colome.... this Torrontes has a volatile history, with one past vintage (I think it was the 2005, or maybe 04?) having serious amount of sugar.

For those that like the idea of super high altitude wines from Salta... here are a couple of names for you to look out for:

- Finca Humanao
- Yacochuya
- Bodega Tacuil