2023 Garzon Single Vineyard Albarino Uruguay 750 ml

Uruguay is one of the most exciting on-the-rise wine destinations in South America—and Bodega Garzón is leading the charge. There’s perhaps no better glimpse into the nation’s extraordinary coastal terroir than their bright, textured 95-point 2023 Albariño. 

Garzón is Uruguay’s most prominent winery:. In 2018, Wine Enthusiast named them “New World Winery of the Year,” and Decanter once ranked their enologist (Alberto Antonini) as one of the top five winemakers in the world. Their state-of-the-art winery and uncompromising devotion to quality lead to consistently stellar wines from their cool, Atlantic-influenced vineyards. 

The granitic hillside soils there are some of the oldest in the world, and on them, Garzón has planted 1,000 tiny vineyard blocks—a patchwork tailored to the hilly landscape’s varied exposures, elevations, and microclimates. At this site just eleven miles from the ocean, chilly breezes refresh the vines, preserving energy and elegance while the grapes ripen slowly. 

If you could bottle that tropical sunshine and ocean air, you’d have Garzón’s Single Vineyard Albariño. In their 95-point review, Decanter praised the wine for its “serious concentration and intensity,” calling it “an intellectual drinking experience.” It’s lithe yet concentrated, with layered aromas of white peach, yuzu zest, jasmine, salinity, and wet stone. A sip offers juicy citrus, green mango, and almond skin notes, all riding on a refreshing beam of minerality. 

While Uruguay’s wine scene began its ascent on the back of rich, powerful Tannat, Albariño has quickly become the nation’s most noble and fascinating white wine. Few (if any) do it better than Garzón. After eight months in large cement tanks, their Albariño shows exceptional nuance, elegance, and purity.