Bodega Tapiz Reserve Chardonnay 2022 Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 75cl

Bodega Tapiz farms a spread of high-altitude vineyards across Mendoza’s Uco Valley, and its Reserve wines are where the winery lifts its ambition, selecting stronger parcels and giving them more time in the cellar. The Uco Valley has become Argentina’s reference point for fresher, more precise whites, and this Chardonnay carries more depth than the everyday bottling.

This is pure Chardonnay grown at altitude, where cool nights and bright, sunny days slow the ripening and preserve natural acidity. The Reserve treatment brings a measured oak influence, building texture and a gentle creaminess while keeping the fruit clearly in view rather than masking it.

Whites from the high, cool Uco Valley tend to hold their freshness even when the season runs warm, and the 2022 sits comfortably in that mould. It gives ripe orchard fruit set against a firm line of acidity, the balance that lets a barrel-influenced white stay lively rather than turning broad or heavy.

In the glass expect white peach and pear, a clear citrus lift and a soft mineral edge, rounded by vanilla and a subtle toasty note from time in barrel. Medium-bodied and well balanced, it is drinking well now and has the structure to hold over the next couple of years. Serve it chilled but not ice cold, so the texture and fruit have room to show.

It suits roast chicken, creamy pasta or grilled white fish, and works just as happily on its own. If you enjoy a fuller New World Chardonnay that still keeps its freshness, this high-altitude Reserve is a natural choice.