Sergio's Pick

There is no wine style out there that's more polarizing than skin contact/orange wine. If you're unfamiliar, no, these are not wines made from oranges, but rather white grapes that are fermented on the skins long enough for the wine to develop an orange color. While it may seem like a novelty, orange winemaking techniques can be traced back 5,000 years ago to present day Georgia.

While it's never been as popular as it is now, unfortunately, there is a high degree of quality variance. We come across this at tastings quite often, and we also hear feedback from customers who might not like this style as their only experience may have been drawn from a suspect/challenging bottle.

To the uninitiated, we like to divide orange wine into 2 camps: those that are crisp, lean, and drink more like a rosé; and those that are textural, richer, and are tannic like a red wine. For sipping, we recommend the former to those who are curious about the style or are looking for white and rosé alternatives; in addition to its easy drinking nature we recommend the latter for specific food pairings possibilities.

Whether it's sparkling, white, rosé or red, there are very few bottles that transcend the style they are categorized in and can simply be referred to as amazing wine. The first that comes to mind is Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé. There's so much complexity to that wine that one of the last things that registers when we're drinking it is the fact that it's actually a rosé.

Today's bottle is one that both transcends the style, and can also serve as a cohesive introduction to orange wine as there are elements of the 2 camps we like describing in this single bottle. While I wish its transcendence could be experienced in every vintage, this particular 2016 vintage is by far the most complete example of Arboreus we've ever tried.

This 2016 Arboreus is highly aromatic with complex aromas of tangerines, persimmons, dried apricots, sage, dried marjoram, gardenias and clay enticing from the glass. The palate displays a lively acidity that introduces a mineral forward soft, yet angular texture that slowly descends towards a grainy tannins. The finish is extremely long with lasting impressions of citrus fruits, dried herbs, and flowers with a touch of salinity.

It can easily be enjoyed on its own, though the texture really shines with food pairings. Some that we have enjoyed with this bottle are bold and spicy Indian and Thai cuisine - especially curries, fermented foods like kimchi, and brown butter and sage squash ravioli.

This wine likes air, we recommend decanting for at least 30 minutes, though have the fun is constantly revisiting as it seems to never stop evolving.