June is prime wedding season. And what better way to celebrate a permanent meeting of the heart, soul, and dreams than with a fine wine like Trapiche Pinot Noir? I always think of wine as a medium that dabbles between youthful and sophisticated sensibilities within a split second. This Pinot is the perfect example, flirtatious with flavors ever-changing as they course across your palate. Upon first sniff and taste, fruit juice flavors impress your tastebuds and quickly flood your synapses before awakening your adult sensibilities to the fact that this is a powerfully flavorful wine. There’s no mistaking the alcohol but it’s at one with the fruit.
Even fine productions of Vodka or Tequila don’t leave you wondering if you have departed the land of innocence into depravity. The liquor may go down smooth but the palate has made up its mind. A spirit has crossed the threshold and entered the blood stream. There are no doubts or second chances. But wine is different…it woos and flirts. This Trapiche from Argentina is a perfect example of this relationship. After savoring a deep complex bouquet of rich berries, the drier smoky and chocolate undertones zing to the surface packing a quick left-right punch just like a classic Pinot should. The peak flavor experience of each sip is like an ultra slick player moving in for a hookup at last call. And yet just as quickly, the jolt recedes back to innocence, the mellower berry juices that could just as well flow from a baby’s sippy cup. That’s the art of Trapiche’s Pinot Noir.
So what makes Trapiche Pinot’s flavor experience so wedding worthy? Challenging climates make the best wines. Nestled in the Mendoza province of Argentina’s Andes foothills, Trapiche has established a proud 120 year wine making heritage. Their vineyard soils are rooted in an alluvial mixture of clay, limestone, and sand. Their vines typically grow anywhere between 1000 – 5500 feet above sea level in temperatures that sharply fluctuate between times of day and seasons. One constant is scarce rainfall requiring creative irrigation drawing water from rivers as well as mountain snow melt. These arid conditions make it prime for organic viticulture. This means the grapes are genuinely pesticide-free yielding a bold taste with nothing to hide. Now match that with your newly formed union and you’re set for a lifetime of bliss.
