Estancia Los Cardones, Salta (Argentina) Garnacha “Tigerstone” 2020 ($32, Vino Del Sol)

Salta is Argentina’s premier high-altitude wine region, often turning out impressive wines. Estancia Los Cardones is at high elevation, giving the wines cooler evenings and an extended growing season. The team has taken efforts to produce an elegant Grenache from a gentle destemming process to fermenting the wines at white wine temperatures. As a result, Tigerstone is light in color and light in tannins but has a lot of flavor. The nose reminds me of a just-burnt pop tart breakfast sandwich while the flavors show the wine’s minerality and richness. In a word, this wine is electrifying – a perfect bottle to start with before a night of big, hearty, or potentially jammy wines.
94 Vince Simmon