Transparent ruby, ambering toward the wide clear edge. A smudge-pot of smoky goodness envelopes the nose, dense cherry, watermelon and wet wood table-tops–intensely aromatic, lively and fresh while still maintaining an obvious warmth of concentration and ripeness.
In the mouth, focused on bright fruit and a funky baseline. South France burnt rubber and hot soil crank out sublime peaty notes mired in both lovely acid and comforting barnyard–the former shining through the shy fruit and the latter barely visible along the edges.
This is my favorite Aridus to date and an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Mourvedre. Restraint in all the right places and concentration in all the right places. I drink a lot of wines from the Sierra Foothills and Valle de Guadalupe, and you somewhat learn to expect a certain *vibe* in these hot-soil areas–both visibly and texturally. Not here. This is a delicate beauty stretching its wings in elegant beauty.
2016 ARIDUS WINE CO Mourvedre Arizona 13.8
Stephen McConnell 