Delicious finds from California and Arizona By Wine and Wild Spaces

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This week, I have a selection of American wines I find exciting.

For many years, I’ve been touting Arizona wines, and I’m here to do it again. I love a lot of Arizona producers, their DIY winemaking culture, the interesting mix of varieties and styles. One of my favorite activities in life is to go climbing and hiking in some Arizona mountains and come home to a delicious local red blend with a grilled steak. Aridus is a great entry into Arizona wines, as this Willcox-based producer has a lot of different bottles available in a bunch of markets.

I’m also a huge fan of amphora wines (grapes fermented on their skins in clay vessels). It’s been done all around the world in ancient winemaking cultures, from Georgia, Italy and Portugal. I spent a lot of time digging into the amphora winemaking culture in Alentejo a few years ago, and I’ve been keenly watching for New World producers who step up and make wines in this method and style. Behold! Beckmen Vineyards delivers with their “1Ingredient” wines. From Ballard Canyon, these wines are pure expressions of their grapes and place, but also of their fermentation method – as the wines offer this beautiful mouthfeel and elegant complexity. Check this out if any of this sounds interesting.

Booker is a Paso Robles producer I’ve known and respected for a while. Their wines are so exciting and delicious, and offer a ton of value, too. Paso is such a dynamic scene, and I always enjoy keeping up with what they’re doing out there – and Booker is a staple and legend for a reason.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

Aridus

2021 Aridus Sauvignon Blanc – USA, Arizona, Cochise County
SRP: $35
Pale lemon color. Smells like a mix of lemons, white peaches, with cucumbers, chalk dust, some white pepper – interesting! Which is a lot more than I can say for Arizona SB. On the palate, this has a cool mix of bright acidity and creamy texture, with lemons, grapefruit, orange peel, tossed with mint, white pepper, along with some honey and white flowers. Really pleasant and as weird as Arizona SB may sound, this is a wine worth checking out. (88 points)

2019 Aridus Viognier – USA, Arizona, Cochise County
SRP: $35
Medium yellow color. The nose shows rich yellow peaches and pineapple, along with honey, hay and some whipped butter. Rich and creamy (of course) but there’s also this salty, perfumed tones. Yellow apples, orange marmalade, pear butter, mixed with honey, graham cracker. But there are also these balanced elements of flowers and bright lemon zest. Delicious. Aged 19 months in old French oak. (88 points)

2019 Aridus Graciano – USA, Arizona, Cochise County
SRP: $46
Deep purple color. The aromas show a mix of smoky tar, jammy blueberries and blackberries, along with cocoa, anise, and these gravelly, earth tones. Chewy tannins on the palate, low acidity holds this back, but enjoyable ripe cherries and plums. Plum cake, cocoa, tobacco, this is sun-roasted Graciano goodness. Aged 16 months in oak. (87 points)

2018 Aridus Syrah – USA, Arizona, Cochise County
SRP: $46
Deep purple color. Smells of plum cake and black cherries, saucy and spicy with tobacco, mint, cocoa, anise, scorched earth. Smooth tannins on the palate with moderating acidity and a chewy feel with the black cherries and saucy plums. Peppery, smoky, coffee-y, with barbecue sauce and beef jerky. Lots of fun, ripe but nuanced, this is a great intro into what can be done with Syrah in Arizona. Includes 10% Viognier, aged in 50% new French oak. (89 points)