The 2012 Semillon comes from 64-year-old vines in Altamira and La Consulta in Uco Valley, with 15% fermented in new French oak and on the lees for four months. It has a lovely, fresh bouquet of Mirabelle, honeysuckle, melon, passion fruit and citrus peel, the scents defined and feminine. The palate is very well-balanced with a tang of ginger on the entry and it fans out beautifully across the mouth. This is a very convincing Semillon with great precision on the finish. Excellent. Drink now-2017+ Alongside Nicolas Catena, the late Raul de la Mota was considered the forefather of modern Argentinean viticulture and his son, Roberto de la Mota, has himself become one of the country’s most respected vignerons. It was Roberto’s knowledge and expertise that Mendel’s proprietor, Anabelle Sielecki, whose father immigrated to Argentina, sought when looking for a partner, and it was a pleasure to meet both at this small winery. The first thing to catch my eye was a sign indicating the age of the vines in Lujan de Cuyo. Mendel is a bijou winery that does not rely on modern technology to conjure impressive wines. They come from the small, specially selected ancient parcels that are combined with a simple, intuitive approach to winemaking courtesy of Roberto and vineyard manager, Santiago Mayorga. These are splendid, intellectual Mendoza wines. The highlight for this writer was the fabulous Mendel Malbec rather than the premium Unus and Finca Remota. But I begin with the solitary white, one well worth seeking out.Importer: Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA; tel. (415) 332-8466