Fresh and juicy, with lemongrass notes to the wet stone and dried white fruit flavors. Hints of sage cream appear on the finish. Drink now. 600 cases made, 600 cases imported.??–KM??Region: Argentina / Mendoza Select to Add

A light, firm white, marked by flint, toast and almond notes to the crunchy apple and melon fruit. Drink now. 175 cases imported.??–NW??Region: Argentina / Mendoza Select to Add

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

Light, yet showing good density and cut to the star fruit and tangerine notes, which give way to hints of spice and fennel on the zesty finish. Drink now. 300 cases imported.??–NW??Region: Argentina / Mendoza Select to Add

The current collection contains one white wine, the 2011 Semillon, which was sourced from 61-year-old ungrafted vines. It was made with 15% of the wine fermented in new French oak with 8 months of aging sur lie before bottling without fining or filtration. Aromas of candle wax, mineral, and melon inform the nose of a creamy-textured, savory, focused wine with excellent volume and length. It is likely to evolve for several years and should provide enjoyment through 2018. Mendel is a partnership of renowned winemaker Roberto de la Mota and Annabelle Sielecki whose family owns the vineyards. As a postscript, while visiting the winery in October 2011, I was also shown the 2006, 2007, and 2008 vintages of Finca Remota, which have been reviewed before in these pages. They are performing as well or better than I previously reported.Importer: Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA; tel. (415) 332-6466