Big, melony, gorgeous Malvasia packed with sharp greenery and shrubby spirit atop some of the most decadent kiwi and smoky nectarine you’ve ever smelled. This grape can be a little over-the-top sometimes, but done right, there’s no arguing with the wallop it contains. And just like their Malbec, these folks down in Willcox do it RIGHT. I’ve purposely held on to this bottle for a bit, based on how much I liked the first one. Rarely does this variety wow… it can be cloying and bland, sometimes quite forgettable, but here is a stellar example.
Tasting it brings an almost-Gewurtz-like deliciousness in a nearly-dry presentation. Crazy wisps of citrus rind sparkle and engage, the acid molded down firmly on a bit of sultry barrel-time, the whole thing astonishingly clean and pure of spirit. Tannin slides in late-middle, creating another bitter side-note offsetting the slight RS. At warmer temperatures it is thick and sexy–at cooler ones the brittle texture shines in biting fashion–equally sexy. A stunning wine–one of the best from Arizona in memory.
2016 ARIDUS Malvasia Bianca Willcox Arizona 14.0
Stephen McConnell 