Gold color with hint of green; apricot, orange, honey, citrus on delightful nose; apricot, grapefruit, orange, lemon-lime, tropical fruits on the palate.
Super acidity (3.14 pH), crisp, crisp, lean, a textbook Torrontés. No oak, no oiliness, superb layers of fruit.
Kaiken winery and vineyards are in Salta Province of Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes. The Kaiken winery traces back to the 1920s; the current operation to 2001 when Aurelio Montes, a founding partner of Viña Montes in Chile, visited Mendoza in Argentina and was seduced by the opportunities. Kaiken was founded in 2002 to showcase both sides of the Andes.
The winery name comes from the Caiquenes (wild geese) that fly over Patagonia between Argentina and Chile. The Montes team flew over the Andes to form an Argentina team blending Argentinian and Chilean expertise. This wine indicates they are flying in the right direction.
Kaiken Terroir Series Torrontés 2015 is nice example of the signal Argentine white grape variety. Acidity is the key to Torrontés quality, and Kaiken deftly delivers on this, reflecting skill in the vineyard and the cellar. $14-17
Additional photos: Kaiken winery, Kaiken vineyard shots
