Step 5
of 5
Argentina's oak story
A 30-year journey, from chestnut tanks to French oak — and back toward less. Until the 1990s, most Argentine wine aged in old, neutral chestnut tanks that gave the wine nothing.
The pivot to new French oak — championed by Nicolás Catena in the late 1980s and '90s — is one of the technical reasons Argentine Malbec suddenly tasted world-class.
Today, the country's most modern producers are quietly moving the other direction — toward concrete, foudres, and amphora. They believe Argentine fruit is now expressive enough to stand on its own.
