Artesano De Argento White Malbec 2022
‘Young Winemaker of the Year’ Juan Pablo Murgia introduces the US to ‘Artesano White Malbec’ made from 100%, Organic grapes sourced from a single vineyard, situated in the foothills of the Andes, in Mandoza, Argentina.
Made in the ‘Blanc de Noir’ technique with no skin contact and harvested early for higher acidity and stainless steel fermented producing a wine with a bright, fresh clean mouthfeel and impressive minerality.
Aromas of green apple, delicate floral notes, and citrus notes of lemons, limes, and orange peel. Think Clare Valley Dry Riesling with a hint of Loire Valley influence.
Palate is rich and inviting without scarifying crispness and acidity. Layers of apples, honeydew melon, white peach, Meyer lemons, and tangerine with just a hint of sweetness wrapped in impressive minerality on a nice long finish.
Came back and tasted this after about an hour or so and delight notes of honey, pear and a hint of saline developed. An absolute delight to drink, and who have thought a white from a red grape varietal could be so interesting- notwithstanding White Grenache, of course.
Ruffino Modus 2019
This little gem comes from Tuscany and is a blend of 39% Sangiovese, 32% Cabernet, and 29% Merlot. The grapes are sourced from Ruffino’s Poggio Casciano estate and several other selected vineyards. This wine also falls squarely into the marketing category of ‘Super Tuscan’
The name Modus comes from the Latin “meaning ‘method’ referring to the many distinct elements that come together to create a wine representative of Tuscany, each depicted in the company logo” Source: Bottle back label.
The palate is smooth and approachable, with an hour or so of decanting, displaying wonderful depth, complexity, and balance. I was surprised to read on the label the 15% alc- big for an Italian wine.
Bold dark fruits, dark cherries, blueberries, sweet rhubarb jam, with secondary layers of spices, dark chocolate, and a nice earthy note to round things out. Tannins are evident, which will dissipate with cellaring- another 10 years should do it.
I would definitely drink this with food, which should include anything Italian, but more specifically duck with olives and pancetta, beef-stuffed manicotti with Bolognese sauce, and aged cheeses including taleggio, pecorino and gouda.
Vine to Table 
I’m intrigued by that malbec.
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