90 Neal Martin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The vines for the sophomore 2011 Recuerdo Torrontes is sourced from La Rioja from vines planted in 2007 and 2008. It has a very attractive bouquet that is well-defined, akin to a well-defined Viognier. There are notes of nectarine, orange-blossom and pear pith. The palate is crisp on the entry with a tang of fresh ginger that dovetails into notes of dried apricot, honeysuckle, passion fruit and dried herbs. This is a superb Torrontes, surfeit with vigor and personality. Drink now. Some of my Twitterati may recall my 140-syllable praise of the Recuerdo Malbec earlier this year. “Vines of Mendoza” is an interesting project whereby private investors can own the produce of their own wine, mainly but not exclusively in the Uco Valley, with no less than Santiago Achaval to oversee the vineyard and vinification. I asked Santiago how much time he can devote to the project, and he replied that he is at the winery once every two weeks during the growing season and more often during the harvest. There are 107 three to ten-acre parcels, some of which are bottled individually and others that are blended to create the Recuerdo line."