Alberto Arizu Snr is one of the most respected vignerons in Argentina. To be in his company, talking about wine and walking through his vineyards, is a memory to cherish. Their home vineyard at Vina Alicia serves as a nursery for 50-60 different species of grape, under vine at any given time. Experiments are run with as few as 50-100 plants, and for as long as 10-12 years per section. The vineyard is like a proverbial patchwork quilt and it is unlikely that the average industry person has even heard of some of the different grapes they have planted here. Information about each grape’s performance as a plant and ultimately as a wine is cataloged and then shared with the industry. Over the years, the Arizu family (otherwise known as the Mondavis of Mendoza) have found certain grapes and/or wine styles to be to their liking and have produced a small production wine from them. Tiara is such a wine. Ethereal and mystical. Crisp and clean while being textured and complex. Sophisticated while being extremely whimsical. Utterly delicious!

Always made in tiny quantities, the current release, the 2018 Tiara, has beautiful fruit purity and cut on its medium bodied frame. The nose offers a plethora of citrus and green apple notes which transfer over into the palate. Flavors of taut lime and green apple are crisp yet have enough textural viscosity to offer an engaging palate presence while the acidity keeps this clean, driven and focused, leading to a long, persistent, dry finish. Drinking well as we speak this should continue to show impressively over the next couple of years.