Galileo Viñedo Lejano Rosado de Criolla 2023

Back in the 1500s, when Michelangelo was still painting the Sistine Chapel, the first vines of European grapes were arriving at the southernmost tip of the Americas. Listán Prieto, Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez. Coming from Spain, Portugal, stopping in the Canary Islands along the way. Four hundred years later, those vines have mingled, mutated, become something of their own. Torrontés Riojano, for example, is a natural crossing between Listán Prieto and Moscatel de Alejandría. The Moscatel Rosada came from Moscatel de Alejandría, but the other parent is still unknown. It's kind of its own thing. Not white, not red, something in between, with beautiful pale pink grapes.

All those grapes that arrived so long ago are known as the Criollas. They all come together in this very nice field-blend, summery rosé. Criolla Grande, Cereza, Moscatel, Torrontés Riojano, and Pedro Jimenez. Field blend means they're all planted together in the same vineyard. They're grown at 850 metres in Mendoza's high desert, trained on pergolas to shield the fruit from the sun.

It tastes like candied orange peel, midnight jasmine, honeysuckle, cold from the fridge apricots.

Drink it cold.