Tapiz Extra Brut Malbec Rose

We've gotten a lot of tips on great wines though the years from customers and vendors alike but never before have we gotten a good tip from a truck driver.  The fellow had just dropped off my order when in the middle of some small talk he drops a bomb - Tapiz Sparkling Rose was selling like hotcakes.  His truck was loaded with the stuff.  Everyone was ordering it.  So while this wasn't an actual product endorsement, it struck me as something worth pursuing.

Tapiz Malbec and Cabernet have been staples here for at least twenty years.  They are as good as any in the twenty dollar range but until now we didn't know about the sparkler.  After consulting with the salesman we added that one to the set on the next order.

Tapiz means tapestry (of terroir & innovation.)  The winery is a modern state of the art operation located in the celebrated Uco Valley in central Mendoza, Argentina.  The vineyards are amongst the highest in the world at 4,600 feet altitude.  The winemaking team is led by Jean Claude Berrouet who for forty-four years made the wines at Chateau Petrus, the most expensive wine in the world.

Tapiz Extra Brut Malbec Rose is a 100% varietal methode champenoise sparkler.  The wine color is bright pink; the aromas and flavors feature fresh and fruity cherry and strawberry.  Uco Valley vineyards are known for their diurnal temperature swing that creates berries that are both ripe yet balanced between sugar and acidity.  This wine is fermented in stainless steel at a low temperature followed by eight to ten months aging on the lees.  The finished product is "full bodied and concentrated yet elegant and balanced."