Winemaker Notes
The nose shows notes of ripe apricot, pineapple., orange sherbet, lavender, yellow wax bean, and candied ginger. The palate shows lemon balm, pineapple, caramel, rice candy, sage, and wet clay. The wine is very lifted with beautifully integrated acidity and great texture of fine grape skins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Certezas is a lot more exotic than the 2019 I tasted next to it, with some tropical notes despite having a lot less alcohol (12.8% here versus 13.7% alcohol in the 2019), but the palate keeps the backbone of freshness and acidity. The Semillon was ready before the Chenin this year, when they harvested early. This is richer, has a tender mouthfeel and a long finish.
Rating: 94+
Sémillon has the power to create wines with considerable structure, depth and length that will improve for several decades. It is the perfect partner to the vivdly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon especially shines in the Bordeaux region of Sauternes, which produces some of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Somm Secret—Sémillon was so common in South Africa in the 1820s, covering 93% of the country’s vineyard area, it was simply referred to as Wyndruif, or “wine grape.”
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.